Over the Hedge Beginnings: RJ
by starwars4life
Summary: The first of many to come, but might as well start with the star! This Fic is about RJ's background and reveals his parents, how he became a family of one, where he got his golf bag, how he met Vincent and more! Hope it's good!
1. A Walk In The Woods

Over the Hedge Beginnings: RJ

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Over the Hedge in any way; DreamWorks owns the movie and the original characters are owned by Michael Fry and T Lewis.

**Chapter 1: A Walk In The Woods**

***Note:** I originally wrote this story in mid November but I had to make a number of corrections.

In a forest in Montana, a male raccoon and his pregnant mate are taking a walk. The male raccoon is named Rogan, and his mate is Sarah.

**Sarah:** "Let's stop here and rest for a minute, honey."

**Rogan:** "Alright sweetie."

They both find a soft bed of grass to lie back on. After a minute, Rogan talks to his mate.

**Rogan:** "I can't wait to be a daddy! I'm so excited, Sarah!!"

**Sarah** (smiling)**:** "Yeah! I can't wait to be a mommy! It's just a killer on my back to be pregnant. I mean, I can't walk for five minutes without having to catch my breath."

**Rogan:** "You're still beautiful, though."

**Sarah** (Giggling)**:** "You're such a smoothie, Rogan."

**Rogan** (Smiling)**:** "Come here."

They fall into a deep kiss on their lips. Suddenly, Sarah feels the baby inside of her move.

**Sarah** (Breaks away from kiss)**:** "Oh! The baby's kicking, Rogan!!"

**Rogan** (Eagerly puts his head on Sarah's large belly where he _does_ feel his unborn child kicking)**:** "It's such a wonderful thing to know that you're gonna be a parent and start your own family."

**Sarah:** "We need to think of a name for it"

**Rogan** (Pulls head away from Sarah's belly)**:** "Hey…! Don't call our baby 'it', that's not humane."

**Sarah** (Shrugs)**:** "Sorry…"

**Rogan** (Grinning)**:** "I'm just teasing!"

**Sarah** (Grins back)**:** "I know, Rogan. If she's a girl I wanna name her…hmmmmm…Rosy."

**Rogan:** "If he's a boy, I think I'll just name him Jr., Rogan Jr…." (Smiles)

**Sarah:** "That's not very creative. At least mine's original."

**Rogan:** "We had a deal, dear. You pick out any girl name you want and I pick out any boy name I want-no arguments."

**Sarah** (Smiles and raises eye brows up and down fast)**: **"I'm just teasing!"

**Rogan** (Chuckles)**:** "I love it when you crack the whip back at me! (Looks at her more seriously) I love everything about you Sarah. And whether our baby's a boy or girl, I'll love him or her."

**Sarah:** "That's how I love you too."

They fall into another deep kiss.

The kiss is broken by the sound of thunder.

**Rogan:** "Uh-oh."

**Sarah:** "Oh dear."

**Rogan:** "Can you make it back home Sarah?"

**Sarah:** "I'm not sure, Rogan."

**Rogan** (Gets to his feet)**:** "We'll just find a place to wade out the storm."

**Sarah** (Getting up)**:** "Yeah."

They look around and spot a small alcove that is surrounded by trees that can keep water out.

**Sarah:** "There!"

**Rogan:** "I see it." (Picks up Sarah bridal style and hurries into the alcove.)

They make it in just in time before a down pour follows shortly after. The alcove is big and beautiful. Rogan puts down Sarah and takes a look around. He spots something sparkly. Rogan walks over and picks it up to find out that it's a ring. He takes it, but keeps it hidden from Sarah.

**Sarah:** "This is a really nice place."

**Rogan** (Grinning with his hand behind his back)**:** "Mm Hm!"

**Sarah** (Looking at Rogan suspiciously)**:** "What are you hiding?"

**Rogan** (Sarcastically)**:** "Me? Nothing…"

**Sarah** (Giving Rogan a playful and seductive look)**:** "Then what're ya holding back there?"

**Rogan:** "Only this…" (Shows her the ring)

**Sarah** (Gasps)**:** "Aw, you don't have to…"

**Rogan:** "Why not? It's nowhere near as beautiful as you, but it'll be a great reminder of how much I love you, Sarah."

Sarah extends her hand and Rogan puts it on her middle finger. It's a perfect fit; not too big, but not too small.

**Sarah:** "Thank you Rogan."

**Rogan:** "Your welcome…I love you Sarah."

**Sarah:** "And I love you too."


	2. The Silver Fang Wolf Pack

**Chapter 2: The Silver Fang Wolf Pack**

They leaned forward to kiss but they were cut off by voices entering the alcove. They're a little nervous since the voices sound aggressive. Not only that, but they have a "mafia accent" too.

*******Note****: **From here on out there will be A LOT of misspelled words. I'm doing this intentionally because mafia and/or mob people are known for slang and mispronunciation. Otherwise I'd make sure to double and triple check my spelling and grammar usage. So know that I don't normally write or ever talk like the characters coming up now.

**Voice 1:** "We sure showed dat cou-gar 'thing or two, right boys?"

**Voice 2, 3, 4, and 5 in unison:** "Right boss!"

**Voice3:** "No one messes with the Silver Fang Wolf Pack!"

**Voice 5:** "'Specially our wolf pack godfather Shark-Bite Silver Fang!!"

**Shark-Bite Silver Fang** (Voice 1)**:** "I tol dat little pet kitten she had tree-days ta pay up the food stash she stole. She refused an' we put 'er on ice!"

The others snicker fiendishly. They enter the alcove where Rogan and Sarah are frozen stiff to see a pack of wolves.

All five wolves see them as they enter.

**Night Vision** (Voice 2)**:** "Well, well, welly, welly well…Look what we have here!"

**Ice Eyes** (Voice 3)**:** "Looks like fresh meat ta me!"

**Rogan:** "L-look we didn't mean to intrude. My mate and I were just looking for a place to get out of the storm."

**Sarah** (Trembling)**:** "We'll just go now."

Sarah and Rogan start to walk off but the wolves circle around them, cutting off their exit.

**Blood Hound:** (Voice 4): "Hold up now, you morsels. Did'ja hears any-ting?"

**Sarah** (Nervously)**:** "…Yes…"

She knew if she or her mate lied, it would only make matters worse.

**Rogan** (Trembling)**:** "But we can keep a secret like no other. O-our lips are sealed…"

**Shark-Bite Silver Fang** (In a quizzical way)**:** "Can yoooooooooooooooouuuuuuussss?"

**Rogan and Sarah** (Shuddering)**:** "Yes."

**Moon Howler** (Voice 5)**:** "I teenk they's hoid too much. I agrees with Ice Eyes; (Smiles and eyes the couple evilly) fresh meat!!!"

**Night Vision **(Has a devious look in his eyes)**:** "Yeeeeea!! They's in our hideout and could go squealin' ta every forest critter where we is…Besides, puttin' that cougar on ice made me _really_ hungry!"

**Rogan** (Panicking)**:** "P-please!! My mate is pregnant!!! (Hugs Sarah who buries her frightened head in his chest and starts crying with him) "…Please…"

**Shark-Bite Silver Fang** (Rolls eyes and lets out a disappointed sigh)**:** "Fine…Okay. But listen up." (Steps so close to the frightened couple that their faces are only inches apart). "You didn't hear nothin'! Now…get lost!!!"


	3. Run For Your Life

**Chapter 3: Run For Your Life**

*******Note****:** Kleptomania= the uncontrollable urge to steal things without the intension for economic gain; Kleptomaniac= someone with kleptomania (Of course) in his/her genes

Rogan and Sarah scurry away fast. They're right at the exit to the alcove when Moon Howler notices Sarah wearing the ring.

**Moon Howler:** "Hey, boss! She's wearin' ya future mate's ring!!"

Rogan and Sarah stop dead in their tracks and slowly turn to the suprised, but enraged Shark-Bite Silver Fang.

**Shark-Bite Silver Fang** (snarls)**:** "You low-down, bandit-masked, ring-tailed kleptomaniacs!!!!! Tryin' ta steal from me?!!"

**Rogan** (Panicking)**:** "No! W-we didn't know anyone lived here!!"

**Sarah:** "H-here. You can have it back. And please… just let us go-"

Sarah takes off the ring but then a crow flies in and snatches it out of her hand. Shark-Bite Silver Fang glares at her in anger.

**Shark-Bite Silver Fang:** "Boys…" (The others get on his left and right) "Put these thieves on ice!!"

**Blood Hound:** "Really boss? 'Cause uhh…ya know…she's pregnant…"

**Ice Eyes:** "What's wit ya Blood Hound? Goin' soft all of-a sudden?!"

**Moon Howler:** "You know da consequences for not doin' what da boss wants!"

While the wolves argue starting from Ice Eyes above, Rogan and Sarah see this as an opportunity to escape.

**Rogan** (Whispering)**:** "Sarah?"

**Sarah** (Whispering)**:** "Yeah Rogan?"

**Rogan** (Whispering)**:** "Run now!"

The raccoon couple escapes out of the alcove while the wolf pack continues to argue.

**Night Vision** (To Blood Hound)**:** "Yeeeeaaa. We gots to put _yous_ on ice too!"

**Blood Hound** (With an attitude)**:** "Was I talkin' ta ya's?! Don't teenk so!"

**Shark-Bite Silver Fang:** "All of ya's shut ya trap and let's get ta-" (Notices that the raccoons are gone. He turns to the others in anger and paws them in the face) "You morons! Thanks to yours arguing, ya lettin' 'em get away!! After them!!!"

The wolves storm out of the alcove in pursuit. They search the surrounding areas for a while.

**Ice Eyes:** "I can't pick up their scent as good as Blood Hound!"

**Shark-Bite Silver Fang:** "Got their scent, Blood Hound?"

**Blood Hound** (Sniffing up into the air)**:** "This-a-way!"

They all follow Blood Hound who leads the way; however, he's is lying to them because he still doesn't like that the others want to kill a pregnant female raccoon. He hopes that he'll buy the raccoons enough time to get a good head start before his pack finds out about his betrayal.

The section with the crow snatching the ring out of Sarah's hand is a tie-in to the movie when RJ was telling Vincent "It's still in the cave. So technically, not stolen." and bumps into the wagon that causes it to fall. It's actually more of a pre-curser for poor, unsuspecting RJ if you think about it. Like parents, like children. Ingenious idea, don't you think?!


	4. RJ Is Born

**Chapter 4: RJ Is Born**

*******Note:** Even though mammals are born hairless and don't open their eyes until much later, Over the Hedge is about cute and cuddly forest critters, so when RJ is born he'll be the cute, blue-eyes raccoon we all know and love. Well, except he'll be much smaller.

It's nighttime and Rogan and Sarah are at their dwelling in a deep burrow under a tree. Sarah is lying on a soft bed of leaves panting. Not from all the running, but because she is about to give birth. She and Rogan began to realize how life can change in an instant. Earlier today they were happy and excited and should have felt even more so now that their baby or babies are coming. But with a pack of wolves hunting them, they are afraid and fearful.

**Rogan** (Puts his hand on Sarah's forehead)**:** "Sarah, you okay?"

**Sarah:** "I don't *pant* k-know."

**Rogan:** "Easy love. Remember, push but save your energy."

**Sarah:** "I don't think I *pant* can…Those *pant* wolves could come in any second. Even now…"

**Rogan** (Kisses her forehead and lightly rubs it)**:** "Shhh…Don't think about that. Just think about our baby and all the fun times we're going to have raising him or her."

**Sarah:** "Okay *pant* Rogan…"

After some more panting Sarah begins to groan in pain as she gives birth. It takes three long and agonizing minutes, and their baby is born. Rogan holds the newborn raccoon while Sarah is panting and feeling light headed. The baby cries and Rogan holds it closer to his chest to muffle the noise--he too, knows that the wolves could come at anytime and right now, he, his mate, and baby are at their most vulnerable.

**Rogan** (Rubbing his baby's back gently)**:** "Shh Sh Sh. There, there. It's okay. Daddy's got you."

**Sarah** (Dazed)**:** "Well, honey…?"

**Rogan** (Examines the baby and looks back at his mate grinning)**:** "It's a boy…"

**Sarah** (No longer dazed)**:** "…Rogan Jr."

**Rogan:** "Yeah, but we can call him RJ for short. (Walks over to Sarah) "Here you go, you're a mommy now." (Gives RJ to her)

Sarah gently strokes RJ who snuggles up against her chest.

**Rogan** (Smiling at his son)**:** "He has your eyes."

**Sarah** (Grinning)**:** "He has your mask."

**Rogan:** "And he has your tail."

**Sarah:** "I love you Rogan."

**Rogan:** "I love you too Sarah. Go ahead and go to sleep."

**Sarah:** "What about you?"

**Rogan:** "I have to keep my eye out for those wolves so if they do show up I can warn you."

**Sarah:** "Okay."

There is a pause.

**Rogan:** "We need to leave in the morning."

**Sarah:** "What? We can't just leave. We-"

**Rogan:** "It's not safe here anymore. We'll take turns carrying RJ along."

Sarah wants to object, but she understands. Her mate is right; it's not safe here—maybe anywhere. She curls her bushy ring tail around RJ so he can use it as covers. RJ starts sleeping then Sarah falls asleep shortly afterwards. Rogan goes outside to keep a look out.


	5. The Truth Revealed

**Chapter 5: The Truth Revealed**

The Silver Fangs are still searching for the two Raccoons and are beginning to grow suspicious of Blood Hound since it's taking so long to find their prey.

**Moon Howler:** "See any-ting Night Vision?"

**Night Vision:** "Nope. Not yet."

**Ice Eyes:** "Dis is takin' waaay too long. We're past the state lines. Them raccoon's couldn'ta gotten this far out."

**Shark-Bite Silver Fang:** "'Specially if the lady was pregnant! What about you Blood Hound? Smell their scent? 'Cause I sure don't!!"

**Blood Hound:** "Easy boss…Don't shed you's winter coat. We're almost there's."

**Night Vision:** "You said that an hour ago! Either you's losin' ya sense of smell or…Or we all know what this is really about."

**Blood Hound:** "What're you talkin' about?"

**Moon Howler:** "You _have_ gone soft on us! That's what's goin' on here!"

**Shark-Bite Silver Fang:** "Not only that, but you've been leadin' us nowheres!"

They all surround Blood Hound and snarl at him.

**Blood Hound** (Lets out a sigh)**:** "I ain't gonna lie to ya's…I _did_ lead ya's away from them. But guys…she was pregnant. And you know we don't kill pregnant critters."

**Ice Eyes:** "You do if the boss says so!"

Shark-Bite Silver Fang walks up to Blood Hound so close that they're literally face-to-face.

**Shark-Bite Silver Fang** (Glaring and speaking in a slow, deadly tone)**:** "You's gone soft _and_ you's intentionally lead us the wrong way. That done-be first degree back stabbin'. Your daddy, the wolf who gave his life for me, he'd be ashamed of you…"

**Blood Hound** (Glaring and growling)**:** "My daddy's no longer here, Einstein!! So stop talkin' like you's know what he'd say!!! As a matter a fact, I QUIT!" (Turns and starts to walk away, but Ice Eyes jumps on him and pins him on the ground)

**Ice Eyes:** "We gots ourselves a desouiter!!"

**Moon Howler:** "Want us ta show him first-hand what we do ta desouiters, boss?"

**Shark-Bite Silver Fang:** "Na, we need his nose ta find those raccoons."

**Blood Hound:** "I ain't helpin' you's! Not anymore! No ever!!"

**Night Vision:** "I teenk the reason he's sooooo…compassionate…is because he has a mate and kid his-self."

**Shark-Bite Silver Fang:** "You took da words outta my mouth, Night Vision. Don't you's remember when you's joined the Silver Fangs, Blood Hound? You become _mine_. I _own _you's. And if you don't lead us to the kleptomaniac raccoons, then I'll own your mate and daughter too!!!"

Blood Hound's eyes widen in fear…He knew Shark-Bite Silver Fang wasn't kidding.

**Blood Hound** (Hesitates at first)**:** "………Fine! I'll let you's babies have your bottles!! But when I lead you's to the raccoons, I won't take any part in da killin's."

**Shark-Bite Silver Fang:** "Fair enough. But remember this: If you's lead us the wrong way again, then us four _real_ Silver Fangs who aren't soft will put your family on ice first, then you's, then the raccoons who stole my future mate's ring, cupeesh?!"

**Blood Hound** (Reluctantly)**:** "..…Cupeesh….."

**Moon Howler:** "Then what're ya waitin' for? Lead da way already!"

The wolves follow Blood Hound.


	6. The Ambush

**Chapter 6: The Ambush**

It's morning at the raccoons' burrow and Rogan is sleeping on top of a tree branch. He yawns and wakes up. Then he suddenly panics because he realized that he fell asleep. The wolves could have come by! He rushes down into the hole beneath the tree, fearing the worst.

**Rogan** (Frantically)**:** "Sarah! RJ!! Are you alright!!?"

**Sarah** (Whispering)**:** "Shh. RJ is still sleeping."

Rogan is overwhelmed with joy to see Sarah cradling and nursing RJ. Though he only climbed and ran for a few seconds, he was sweating and panting as if he ran for a mile. He relaxed for a few moments.

**Rogan** (Walks up to Sarah with his head lowered in sadness)**:** "I fell asleep last night…I'm so sorry." (Sniffs in sadness)

**Sarah** (Pats Rogan's back)**:** "Aw, Rogan…Don't worry. RJ and I are fine."

**Rogan:** "But if those wolves had come…! I-I wouldn't have been able to warn you…!"

Sarah kisses Rogan who buries his face into her shoulder and starts crying.

**Sarah:** "Shhh. Don't feel bad."

**Rogan** (Voice thick from crying)**:** "I deserve to feel bad Sarah. I'd be the worst mate and father in the world if you and RJ had gotten killed just because I couldn't stay awake."

**Sarah** (Lightly brings Rogan's head in front of her own)**:** "Rogan…are you okay?"

**Rogan:** "No…Of course I'm not okay. We have a pack of wolves after us all because I gave you that ring. It's all my fault! If I had just realized that you were too beautiful to have one…If I had listened to you when you told me I didn't have to give it to you…If I-"

Before he could continue Sarah pressed her lips against his and they entered a deep romantic kiss that lasts for 15 seconds.

**Sarah** (Slowly pulls her lips away from Rogan's)**:** "Rogan…you are the greatest mate in the world. You are the best father in the world. Please dear, don't feel discouraged. Life is so grand and vast that anything can happen. And when things get tough, there is always a way to get out of trouble."

**Rogan** (Wipes the tears from his eyes and nods)**: **"You're right Sarah. We're in this together. We got ourselves into this, we can get ourselves out."

**Sarah** (Grinning)**:** "Exactly. Now let's head out and find a new life and home. Both for ourselves and for RJ."

**Rogan** (Smiles)**:** "Right!"

They leave their home and start walking away. After two hours there is still no sign of the wolves. They begin to relax and stop walking fast and walk at a steadier pace. They are both getting very hungry, however. They see a berry bush and walk to it. They began eating the berries, unaware that the Silver Fangs are staging an ambush nearby.

**Blood Hound **(Whispering)**: **"Okay boss…There they are. Happy?"

**Shark-Bite Silver Fang** (Whispering)**: **"Not 'til we kill 'em."

Blood Hound leaves with his head lowered sadly. He looks back at his wolf pack who are preparing to attack. He looks at the ground. When he looks back up he has all look of determination on his face.

**Night Vision** (Whispering)**:** "While you tree attack I'll sneak around ta flank 'em. There'll be no escape from this."

**Moon Howler** (Whispering)**:** "Actually, dare's one way for 'em ta 'scape…Through our stomachs." (Chuckles)

**Shark-Bite Silver Fang** (Whispering)**:** "I'm _not_ lookin' forward at explainin' to Wrong-Way Camie how I lost 'er ring…'Specially since it'll undermine me in the eyes of 'er pop…"

**Ice Eyes** (Whispering)**:** "No worries boss. Once she hears ya story about the avengin' ambush, you's two'll be closer than sardines in a tin can again."

**Shark-Bite Silver Fang** (Whispering)**:** "Right. Ready?"

The other 3 wolves were and nod "yes" to assure their pack leader.

**Shark-Bite Silver Fang:** "Kay…Tree…t-"

**Blood Hound:** "_RUUUUNN!!!!!_" (Jumps right in front of his former friends out of nowhere).

Rogan and Sarah jump in terror, but waste no time looking to see what was going on right behind them. They just run as fast as their legs can carry them.

**Shark-Bite Silver Fang** (Infuriated): "You little trai!-"

Before he can finish, Shark-Bite Silver Fang is knocked to the ground by Blood Hound who pins him and bites him hard. Shark-Bite Silver Fang screams in agony while the other three Silver Fangs bite Blood Hound's tail and back legs and start to drag him off their pack leader. Blood Hound won't let go and the other three wolves only succeed in causing their leader more pain. Once the pain becomes intolerable, Blood Hound then turns his attention to the others and starts biting at them frantically. It's a three-against-one fight and he is easily overpowered, Blood Hound doesn't give up and continues to fight. Through the teeth and claws coming at him, Blood Hound notices that Shark-Bite Silver Fang was nowhere in sight…


	7. A Noble Sacrifice

**Chapter 7: A Noble Sacrifice**

Rogan and Sarah have been running for 5 minutes and pray that the Silver Fang's didn't see their son, RJ. They immediately stop as the ground ahead of them ends. They are standing on the top of a gorge with nowhere left to run.

**Rogan:** "Alright, let's climb down nice and easy."

**Sarah:** "We can't climb down while trying to carry RJ…!"

**Rogan:** "Shoot!"

The Silver Fangs had just "dealt" with the traitorous Blood Hound. He was not going to get up anytime soon. Not again for that matter. They look around to find that their pack leader is gone.

**Ice Eyes:** "Where's the boss?"

**Night Vision:** "Probably after da 'coons."

**Moon Howler:** "Let's go an' get 'em boys!"

The wolves head off. Once they have left, Blood Hound opens his eyes and starts to get up slowly. He's hurt badly, but he's not dead.

Back at the edge of the cliff, Rogan and Sarah have been trying to think of a way to escape.

**Sarah:** "How about we go around?"

**Rogan:** "It'll take too long!"

Sarah hears a noise behind them and quickly puts RJ on the ground. She turns to her mate who had also heard the noise. They stand side by side in order to keep RJ hidden behind them. Within moments Shark-Bite Silver Fang comes out of the foliage. He's bruised, and has fresh, jagged scares on his face where Blood Hound bit him.

**Shark-Bite Silver Fang:** "There you are ya 'lil thieves!!"

**Rogan:** "Listen, it was an accident! You _know_ it was! That crow…it's the one that-"

**Shark-Bite Silver Fang:** "Shut up!!! That crow wouldn'ta snatched da ring outta your lady's hand if you's didn't take it in da first place!! You's two are MINE NOW!!!"

**Ice Eyes:** "You mean they's OURS now boss!"

The three other Silver Fangs come out and group beside their leader.

**Shark-Bite Silver Fang:** "Took ya's long 'nuff!"

**Moon Howler:** "Sorry for da wait boss. We's been dealin' with that rat Blood Hound."

**Night Vision:** "Rest assured; he's dead now."

**Shark-Bite Silver Fang:** "Good…Now let's get dis feedin' frenzy started!"

The wolves turn their attention to the helpless raccoon couple who start hugging each other tight and have their eyes closed.

**Rogan** (While crying softly)**:** "I love you Sarah…And I'm so glad I met you."

**Sarah** (Also crying softly)**:** "I love you too Rogan…Meeting you was the best thing that ever happened to me."

The wolves approach the trapped raccoons slowly, savoring for the kill. Night Vision suddenly sees something moving behind the cringing raccoons…He sees RJ

**Night Vision:** "Hey boss! Check it out they's got a-!"

**Blood Hound:** "_**GET CLEAR NOOOOOOOOOWWWWWWWWSSS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!**_"

The Silver Fangs turn around and are shocked to see Blood Hound charging right at them. For the first time in his life, Shark-Bite Silver Fang had a look of fear on his face. He though the others had taken out for good!

Rogan and Sarah grab RJ and run. Blood Hound knocks into the four wolves like a bowling ball against pins in a bowling alley. All five of them fall into the gorge, screaming all the way down.

Rogan and Sarah look down into the gorge and back into each other's eyes. They embrace in big hug and kiss RJ like crazy.

**Rogan:** "Oh Sarah!" (Kisses her) "I-I thought it was all over!!"

**Sarah:** "Rogan!" (Kisses him back) "I was sure we were going to die! I've never been so scared in my life!"

**Rogan:** "Me too! But…why do you think one of them helped us out?"

**Sarah:** "It's just like my mother used to say: Just because some animals may do terrible things doesn't mean they don't have a heart."

**Rogan:** "Either way…It's over! We can raise RJ like a normal family!"

**Sarah:** "I know! It's just…I fell really bad for that one wolf…"

**Rogan:** "Yeah…Me too…"

There is a pause.

**Rogan:** "But he gave his life so that we can live…Such a noble sacrifice…"

**Sarah:** "Wanna go back home?"

**Rogan:** "Yeah, let's go."

The raccoons walk back the way they came.

At the bottom of the gorge, there was a river that eventually led to a waterfall. At the water fall something comes up out of the water gasping for air. It's Shark-Bite Silver Fang. He's banged up bad from the fall into the river, but he's still alive. Though the fall had claimed the lives of his loyal wolves and the back-stabbing Blood Hound, he somehow survived. He doggie-paddles to the river bank and shakes himself dry. He doesn't even celebrate his personal survival; he is filled with primal rage and a thirst for revenge. The raccoons were going to pay for the death of his friends. And when he went after them again, he wasn't going to do it alone…The Grand Wolf Pack Gathering was at sundown. He's going to have an army when he found the raccoons again.

You didn't it would end so soon did ya?! I'm not even half-way through the story yet!! But I've got some bad news: Though while I intend to finish this story, that won't be happening anytime soon. College is a VERY busy atmosphere and I'm wasting a lot of precious assignment-working time even as I'm typing right now. So I apologize for the wait that will ensue, but Christmas break is right around the corner. I'll hopefully update the story around those times! Don't forget to respond!!


	8. Wolf Pack Gathering

**Chapter 8: Wolf Pack Gathering**

It was sundown as Shark-Bite Silver Fang staggered through the forest, still trying to recover from the fall. He was heading for the Grand Wolf Pack Gathering were every wolf pack in the state got together in a crime family reunion. They would usually eat dinner, talk about how their "business practices" were going, and listen to the high wolf pack godfathers or godmothers plans for the future. Weddings and mate contests were also held. This time however, Shark-Bite Silver Fang would not be able to enjoy the gathering as he once had. With the fire of vengeance burning in his gut he could almost taste the raccoons' flesh in his mouth once he rallied every wolf to hunt them down. The problem was trying to convince them to hunt in his cause when he couldn't handle a simple task such as hunting down and killing two measly raccoons.

He heard the sounds of howling just beyond the hill he was climbing. _Dang it! I'm late!_ Shark-Bite Silver Fang started to run but the pain was intolerable, especially when trying to go uphill. He slowed down a bit and gradually made his way to the top of the hill. Like always, there were hundreds of wolves representing the total of 50 packs across Montana. Their meeting was an open field in the forest clearing.

**Supreme Wolf Godfather:** "Now, before we all eat let us-" (Sees Shark-Bite Silver Fang coming from the opposite side of the field) "Welly well…Looks who's late everybody!"

Every wolf turns and stares at Shark-Bite Silver Fang who they now notice is all alone.

**Supreme Wolf Godfather:** "If it'a isn't Shark-Bite Silver Fang…! You's know da penalty for showin' up late at this: The Grand Wolf Pack Gatherin'…"

**Shark-Bite Silver Fang:** "Shut you's front door ya 'ol geezer! I've gotta beat up body, my pack is all dead, and most of all: _**My handsome face looks like a car ran over it!**_ So cut me some slack!"

Every wolf gasps.

**A Wolf Pack Leader: **"How's about we gnaw you's tongue inta teeny tiny pieces for talkin' that way to da Supreme Wolf Godfather ya ungrateful mutt!"

**Another wolf:** "Dibs on his left leg!

**Another wolf pack leader: **"By da time we's done wit you's, you ain't never gonna have pups!"

**Yet another wolf:** "Then we'll—!"

**Supreme Wolf Godfather:** "Silence!"

The result is immediate

**Supreme Wolf Godfather:** "We'll deal wit this later Shark-Bite… (To all wolves) Pyzonos, let's all eat and we'll get on with da festivities."

Shark-Bite heads over to the Wrong-Way wolf pack, ignoring the glares he receives. The Wrong-Way pack were tan-skinned wolves instead of the silver/grey color Shark-Bite had. He approaches his fiancé Wrong-Way Camie, but her dad Wrong-Way Wretched blocks his path.

**Wrong-Way Wretched: **"You got's a serious 'tude issue talkin' to da Supreme Wolf Godfather like dat! If you's and my daughter weren't engaged I'd REALLY mess up you're already-ugly face!"

**Wrong-Way Camie:** "Shut up pops! (Shoves him aside) What happened to ya puddin'?"

**Shark-Bite Silver Fang: **"Long story tutz…"

**Wrong-Way Vance:** "You'd better start explainin' it then! Cuz every wolf here, 'sides my sis, wants ta bite and claw ya's inta mincemeat!"

**Shark-Bite:** "Then shut up and lemme speak Van! An whatever you's do, you's BETTER NOT TELL ANYONE ELSE…"

Shark-Bite recaps the ordeal he's recently been through. After he finishes, he waits for a reply. Wrong-Way Vance starts to snicker which causes all 13 Wrong-Ways—save for Camie—to snicker as well, then laugh out loud.

Shark-Bite growls and tries to ignore the laughter. Then Wrong-Way Vance turns his head to the Wrong-Ways' cousin pack the Dead-Wood Wolf pack.

**Vance:** "Hey, getta load o' dis scar-faced clown! He—"

Before he could finish Shark-Bite rams into him, causing him to hit his face on a rock.

**Shark-Bite Silver Fang** (Yelling)**:** "What did I jus' say about keepin' you's mouth shut ya lil' weasel?"

(Turns to Camie) "I am SO not lookin' forward ta havin' that pipsqueak as my bro-in-law—argh!"

Two Wrong-Ways grab Shark-Bite by the tail and drag him to Wrong-Way Wretched who's glaring at Shark-Bite.

**Wretched:** "He ain't you's brother in law anymore Shark-Bite! Da only pipsqueak here is you's, since ya can't even catch two little ring-tailed critters! You's and my daughter ain't getting' married no more!"

**Camie:** "Hold up pops, you ain't got da right ta cut off our engagement!"

**Wretched:** "Quiet young lady! Do as ya told!"

**Camie:** "I'm old 'nuff ta make my own choices now!"

**Wretched:** "I don't wants our proud wolf pack line ta mix'n'breed with such an incompetent mutt who lost ya yer ring…The rock on dat golden eye-looker was my great, great ,great grandmother's."

**Camie:** "Yeah? Well she bit da dust a long, long, long time ago! 'Sides, only humans use rings anymore, not wolves. Stop livin' ya life in da past. Shark-Bite's my king o' da ocean now! And I'm gonna help him."

**Shark-Bite** (Makes a loud kiss sound with his lips)**:** "Thanks my lil' mermaid…"

**Wretched:** "You's will do no such ting!"

**Camie:** "This is da ONLY time he's let ya down pops. You knows he desoives a second chance at provin' himself to ya. An' I'ma hungry for some coon meat."

**Vance: **"Have ya lost ya mind sis? We're gonna call off da wedding ASAIIDRKF…As soon as I ice dis road-kill-face!"

**Shark-Bite** (Screaming)**:** "ENOUGH WIT DA FACE-CRACKS ALREADY! (More calm) An' by da way…I'm not da only one here wit a messed up face."

Shark-Bite points at Vance who now has two bleeding cuts and a black eye from hitting the rock Shark-Bite pushed him into.

**Wretched** (To Camie**):** "You's not marryin' or helpin' out dat guy an' dat's FINAL! As godfather of da Wrong-Way wolf pack, I have dee authority ta command you's no matter how old you are."

**Camie:** "Cut ya son-in-law some slack pops. You's not perfect, I'm not perfect, and he's not perfect. He an' I were gonna get married tonight anyhows, so technically, he's my mate and I'm his. Which means I can don't have'ta listen to ya's anymore."

**Shark-Bite** (Holds his paw in front of Camie)**:** "I'm grateful for you's tryin' ta help me babe, but I can take it from here."

(Walks up to Wretched) "Remember that debt you's owed my daddy…He saved you's pregnant mate's life from human hunters by takin' 5 rifle shots to da ribs…and still surged it off till she was outta site…That debt passed ta me as his only heir."

**Wretched:** "Yeah, yeah sure, sure… But unlikes ya daddy, he didn't always come up wit excuses ta get stuff done."

Shark-Bite gritted his teeth and felt blood rush to his head in anger, but still kept his cool.

**Shark-Bite:** "Dat don't change da fact that you's still owes a life debt to me Wretched."

Wretched looks to the side and thinks for few moments, sighing as he does so. He then turns back to face Shark-Bite with a look of annoyed defeat on his muzzle.

**Wretched:** "Fine…But know dis: No we's even. So what's da gig?"

**Shark-Bite** (Smirking in victory)**:** "As a bachelor's and bachelorette's party, I need all you's Wrong-Ways, you's Dead-Wood cousins, their Meat-Grinder relatives, an' their Cutter-Jaw kin—all you's relatives—to help me kill da coons responsible for killin' my pack."

**Vance:** "Ya don't needs dat many wolves ya—"

**Shark-Bite** (Facing Vance)**:** "No questions axed."

(To Wretched) "What'da ya say Wretch…or should I call you's, dad?"

**Wretched:** "Jus know dat I'm doin' dis only ta fulfill ya daddy's debt. And I'll agree on one condition."

**Shark-Bite:** "An' dat is?"

**Wretched:** "You's an' my daughter don't get ta become mates till after ya've proven ya-self."

**Shark-Bite:** "Fair 'nuff." (To all the Wrong-Ways) "Alright everybody, you's hoid you's pack godfather, now let's enjoy da rest'a da night for tomorrow we hunt'n kill."

(Lewdly to Camie) "An' after dat…we's goin' ta come home to da…really good stuff." (Raises eyebrows up and down three times as he walks up to her).

**Camie** (Winks at Shark-Bite)**:** "Ooooh Sharky, behave…And I like ya's scars, dey make ya look rugged an' dangerous…"

**Shark-Bite:** "My maw musta known best after all when she said chicks always like a guy wit scars…"

**Vance:** "Jus' remember Shark-Bite, ya fails, an' da wedding's off."

Paying no attention to him Shark-Bite and Camie enter a passionate kiss, moaning playfully as they savor it.

Vance (Annoyed sigh): "Forget about it…I'ma go n' rally da other packs."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

I decided to take a break from Soul Mates Part 2 and get back to this story. I don't know if I'll be able to do a OTH Beginnings series for all the characters (There's A LOT of the hedgies after all), but I'll certainly finish this one, but it won't be anytime soon.

See ya next chapter!


	9. Fooooorrrre!

**Chapter 9: Fooooorrrre! **

While waiting on Rogan to come back from foraging, Sarah sits outside the burrow rocking RJ to sleep. She kissed him once his eyes were closed and smiled. Her ears perked up as there's some rustling in the bushed in front of her. She ran for the burrow with RJ in her arms and kept quiet.

**Voice:** "Sarah? Junior? I'm back!"

Sarah sighed in relief at the voice of her mate.

**Rogan** (more urgent)**: **"Sarah! Junior! Where are you?"

With RJ fast asleep, Sarah wrapped some leaves around him and walked out into the open.

**Sarah:** "Hey Rogan."

**Rogan:** "Phew, there you are… (Walks up to Sarah and hugs her) "I thought you were gonna wait out here when I got back."

**Sarah:** "I… Well, when I heard you coming through the bushes I didn't know if it was really you."

**Rogan:** "Relax, there's nothing to be afraid of anymore."

**Sarah:** "Yeah… But I still can't help thinking if…"

**Rogan** (Looks into Sarah's eyes)**:** "They're not coming back. No one could've survived that fall, not even a wolf. We can raise Junior without fear."

**Sarah** (Smiles)**:** "Alright! Yeah, I guess I was being a little too superstitious."

**Rogan** (nods yes)**:** "It'll take time for us to calm down. I mean it all happened just yesterday."

**Sarah:** "So did you have any luck finding food?"

Rogan frowned.

**Sarah:** "Don't sweat it. We've got plenty in the house."

**Rogan** (sighed heavily)**:** "I…don't know how to tell you Sarah, but…There's—"

"Grrrrrrrrrrrrr."

The growl made the couple's heart race. They turned to the left and froze in shock at the site of Shark-Bite Silver Fang emerging between two trees.

**Shark-Bite:** "What's wrong wit you's two? You's looks like ya seen a ghost."

**Rogan:** "H-How did you?"

**Shark-Bite: **"Survive? Well let's jus' say I got 9 lives like a kitty cat. Now how 'bout we pick up where we's left off. And dis time, there's ain't gonna be no traitor to help you's two out. In fact: I brought some …friends along wit me."

The Wrong-Way pack all come out behind Shark-Bite and form, a semi-circle around the raccoon couple.

**Camie:** "So, dee's are the 'lil coons that caused ya so much trouble?"

**Shark-Bite:** "Yep. Took us from twilit to now to track 'em down, but it was worth dee effort."

**Vance:** "I still can't believe ya couldn'ta iced 'em."

**Shark-Bite** (To Vance)**:** "Sufferin' from short term memory loss Van? Remember what I told ya at da gatherin' last night: Had it not been for dat rat Blood Hound, me an' my pack would'a gotten things done. (To raccoons) "An don't bother runnin', WE have got you's two cornered."

The raccoons look to the left first and see the dark-brown, 6 member, Dead-Wood wolf pack come out. On the right, the fox-orange-furred, 5 member Meat-Grinder pack come out. And from behind, the white-brown, 7 member Cutter-Jaw pack comes out. Sarah burries her head on Rogan's left shoulder.

**Rogan** (To Shark-Bite)**:** "What do you want from us?"

**Shark-Bite** (smirking)**:** "Coon meat for lunch. (Cranes his head over to look at Sarah) "Had you's baby yet?"

Sarah is about to respond, but **Rogan** quickly speaks**:** "No. We're still waiting."

Sarah is grateful her mate answered before she could, and with a lie.

**Shark-Bite:** "Well, doesn't really matter…I guess we'll all be eatin' **three** coons for lunch."

**Camie:** "Yeah. Da lady's a two-meal-in-one special."

**Wretched:** "Jus' shut up an get on wit it Shark-Bite! I's got better tings to do wit my time."

**Shark-Bite **(Sighs in disappointment)**:** "Fine… Wretched."

**Camie:** "Dibs on da lady. I might as well take out da one who made me lose our engagement ring."

**Wretched:** "I get first bite. After all, I valued dat rock far more than you's."

**Camie:** "Fair 'nuff."

**Shark-Bite:** "Van an' me will split the male one—pun intended."

**Vance:** "Dibs on the upper half."

**Shark-Bite:** "I gets ta say who gets what, it's my grudge against deese coons."

**Wrong-Way Gerttie** (Camie's mom/Wretched's mate)**:** "Vance has a point Sharky: what're all dee other relatives gonna do? Dey gotta take some part in da feast if you's dragged all of us out here's."

**Shark-Bite** (annoyed)**:** "Alright, alright. Sheesh… I guess we can divide deese critters up from da guts to da extremities. Dibs on da gizzard."

**Dead-Wood Timber** (his pack's godfather)**: **"Enough! Let's just forget all da formalities an' manners an' have a good 'ol fashion feedin' frenzy!"

**Meat-Grinder Vickie **(her pack's godmother)**: **"We's jus' moicilessly gnaw n' saw 'em up like da primal wolves we all are deep down."

**Cutter-Jaw Bernie **(his pack's godfather): "Whoever gets to da gut 'er limb foist has dibs on it!"

Their fellow pack members say different words of mutual agreement (i.e. Yeah, yep, sure, mmhmm, etc) and they all causally walk toward the raccoon couple who could nothing but curl up in fetal position awaiting for a pain too horrible to imagine. Rogan and Sarah cringe at the sound on the wolves licking and smacking their lips in anticipation.

Rogan and Sarah speak to each other so soft that even the wolves don't hear the conversation.

**Rogan:** "Is Junior safe?"

**Sarah:** "He's in the house…but he won't survive long on his own. He's one two days old. He still needs milk."

**Rogan:** "At least we tried to start a family…"

The wolves are all circling around the couple and are so close that the raccoons can feel the heat from their breath.

**Sarah:** "…I love you."

**Rogan:** "I love you too…"

Rogan and Sarah both share a final kiss, hold each other's hand tight, close their eyes, and prepare for the worse.

As the wolves start to bar their teeth, Vance's ear perks up as he hears something rattling from not too far away.

**Vance:** "Hey? You's all hear dat?"

**Camie:** "Shut up bro! Don't spoil da moment."

**Vance** (Ignoring Camie)**:** "It's comin' from da mountain. It sounds like a…a…"

**Human voice echoing:** "FIRE IN THE HOLE!"

A deafening explosion disorients all the wolves' sensitive hearing as a large chunk form a mountain explodes 300 yards away. Rogan and Sarah—not believing their luck—get up and turn to leave, but one of the Meat-grinder wolves gets in front of them.

**Meat-Grinder Wolf:** "Goin' somewhere's ya 'lil bite-sized treats?"

Suddenly, a herd of deer, some badgers, other wolves, coyote's, rabbits, foxes, and countless birds come running into the area where the family-related packs are. The whole Dead-Wood, half of the Cutter-Jaw packs, and the wolf in front of the raccoons are trampled by the various forest animals fleeing. Others just run into the other members of the other packs, but all the animals miss hitting the two raccoons.

**Rogan** (Yelling so any forest animal would hopefully hear him)**:** "What happened?"

**A Buck:** "RUUUNNN!" (Continues to run away)

**A coyote:** "Humans! They're clearin' the mountain to build a road! Gangway!" (Runs away)

**A fox: **"There's gonna be rocks raining everywhere! Get outta here! (Runs).

Soon enough, rocks of all shapes and sizes start falling, and Rogan and Sarah run with the other animals. Some of the family related wolves break away and run with the other animals in an effort to save themselves, not hunt the raccoons. Any related wolf that was too confused and panicked to run are hit by the rock shower along with any that survived the trampling. Most die from the relentless stoning; others are injured, while Shark-Bite, Camie, Vance, Wretched, Gerttie, Dead-Wood Timber, and 5 other Wrong-Ways, and 3 Meat-Grinders are unharmed as they run through the forest in search of the raccoons.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Rogan and Sarah made sure to say together as they ran. They heard more animals yelling in pain as rocks hit them.

**Sarah** (Panicking)**:** "We forgot RJ!"

**Rogan:** "As long he stays in the burrow he'll be safe…! (Panicking) Oh, no! The explosion probably woke him up!"

**Sarah:** "I'm going back!" (Turns to head back, dodging several animals while doing so)

**Rogan:** "Sarah! No! It's too dangerous! And some of those wolves may still be alive!" (Notices Sarah is too far off and occupied at avoiding animals and falling to pay attention) "Aw dang it!" (Turns around to follow Sarah).

Rogan catches up with Sarah shortly.

**Rogan:** "Sarah." (Grabs her hand to hold it while they run back)

Then, they see Shark-Bite and his other wolves running with other animals. Rogan and Sarah stop dead in their tracks, but not for even a second. They turn again and run the other way. However, Shark-Bite had seen them and told everyone who was with him to go after the raccoons.

XXXXXXXX

Rogan and Sarah lost complete track of direction and time they spent running away from the wolves. But it was long, that they did know. They outran the falling rocks and were on a tree line bordering a golf course.

**Sarah:** "Lets –pant- climb a –pant- tree…" (Wheezes) "Can't run -pant- anymore…"

Rogan nodded yes and he and his mate started climbing the first tree they saw. They soon discovered that the tree was not strong and it wobbled as they climbed higher.

**Sarah: **"Whoa…Hey Rogan what happened to the rest of the forest that was here?"

**Rogan:** "That's what I was going tell you before those wolves showed up at the house. All the berry bushes and honey suckles are gone. Humans must have torn 'em down when they built this…this…Aww, forget what it's called. We need to get in a better tree."

**Sarah:** "Okay."

Before they could climb down to find a better one, the wolves were at the base snarling and growling as they looked at the raccoons.

**Shark-Bite** (Angry)**:** "You's critters may have a lotta luck, but now you's made us all VERY steamed!"

**Wretched** (Also angry)**:** "You's coons're gonna pay for da death of so many of our relatives!"

**Vance** (ditto)**: **"I swear on my life that we's gonna rip you's apart till ya nothin' but a puddle'a blood!"

**Camie** (ditto)**:** "We'll eat ya's to da bone! Then we'll eat's ya bones!"

**Wrong-Way Gerttie** (ditto)**:** "Suck da marrow right out!"

Camie rears up and starts to claw at the tree, making it wobble. Camie's eyes widen Then, she raises her right eyebrow, smiling in sick amusement while doing so.

**Camie** (Playfully)**:** "Ooooooooooooo…Looks like ya's tree is still a sapling. How 'bout we play a 'lil game of 'earthquake test'?"

The wolves all start clawing at the tree and pushing it erratically to shake the raccoons out. Rogan and Sarah hold on tight, but the more the wolves move the tree the more they start losing their grip.

**Dead-Wood Timber:** "Outta da way. I got dis twig!"

Dead-Wood Timber walks back several yards as the other wolves clear a path for him to run, snickering and laughing as the raccoons are out to find out why he's called "Timber".

**Timber:** "An' a-one. An' a-two. An' a-tree…pun intended!"

Timber charges and rams into the tree, causing it to start falling toward green grass of the golf course.

**Dead-Wood Timber:** "TIIIIIIIIIMMMMMMBEEERRRRRRRRR! Ha hah ha ha haaaaah!"

The other wolves laugh maniacally with him as Rogan and Sarah prepare to resume running.

They leap off moments before it hits the ground, land on their feet, and run. But the wolves are too fast and circle around them. Camie swipes Sarah with her claws, cutting a four-line imprint across her stomach. Sarah screams as she falls to the ground.

**Camie** (Playful)**:** "Ooo-ooooo. Coony has a boo-boo! Won't be havin' you's baby anymore now either…heh heh he he heeh."

**Rogan:** "SARAH!"

Rogan starts to run to her side but Shark-Bite strikes at him too. Surprisingly, Rogan ducks to dodge the attack, but Vance claws him from behind.

**Shark-Bite** (Amused)**: **"Hmmmm. A 'lil fight in you's… Good I love playin' wit my food!"

Shark-Bite turns Rogan over so the raccoon is looking straight up at him. Then pins him down, and slowly moves his face closer.

**Shark-Bite** (darkly)**:** "You's and ya's lady have caused us all so much trouble... Dat I had a change a' heart. Dee only problem for you's is dat I _have no heart_. We were all jus' gonna eat you's an' get it over wit, quick n' clean, but now we're gonna 'tenderize' you's first!"

XXXXXXXXX

None of the animals are aware that they are on the edge of the driving range and golfers have come back from a lunch break. And neither do any of the golfers know what's going on at the opposite end of the range…nor that the net at the end of the range to stop golf balls hasn't been set up.

XXXXXXXXXX

**Camie:** "Hey Sharky?"

**Shark-Bite **(looks at Camie)**:** "Yeah Camie?"

**Camie** (moves her eyebrows up and down 3 times and speaks romantically)**:** "Wanna have first bite together? It'll be the first part of our homicidal honeymoon."

**Shark-Bite **(Winks at Camie)**:** "Of course gorgeous… (Turns back to face Rogan) "But first lemme—"

Rogan bites Shark-Bite in the nose as soon as it's in front of him.

**Shark-Bite:** "AGHhh!" (Growls at Rogan as he puts more pressure on the raccoon's shoulders, his claws digging in) "_THAT'S IT! I'MA GONNA RIP OFF YOU'S FACE—_!"

XXXXXXXX

At the range, the golfers swing their clubs, with a chorus of "foooorrreee" filling the air.

XXXXXXXXXXXX

**Shark-Bite:** "—_YA MEASLY, BANDIT-MASKED, RODENT!_"

Shark-Bite opens his maw…At that very instant, a barrage of golf balls come straight at the pack wolves. Wretched, Gerttie, Timber, and the 3 Meat-Grinders are hit right in the head and fall flat on the ground, while Shark-Bite and the others are hit in the side or legs. As they all fall to the ground, yelling in pain while doing so Rogan gets up and heads to Sarah.

**Rogan:** "Sarah? Are you alright!"

No response.

**Rogan:** "Sarah! Please! Come on! We have to get out of here!"

**Camie** (walks over to her parents)**:** "Pops, mom! You's two okay?

No response. In fact, they aren't even breathing. Camie picks up her Wretched's paw, lets it go, and sees it fall to the ground. She did the same thing to Gerttie and the same result happened.

**Camie **(Snarls and her face fills with hatred as she turns to Rogan)**:** _You's_…I'll…_**MERTILIZE YA'S BOTH!**_"

XXXXXXXXXX

Back at the range, golfers swing again, still unmindful of what's going on at the edge of the range.

"Foorrree!"

XXXXXXXXXXXX

Camie lunges with her mouth wide open. Rogan covers his eyes with both paws. The next thing he hears isn't the sound of his body being chomped by the wolf, but Camie yelp in pain. He slowly parts his fingers. Camie is lying on the ground a few inches away from him.

Camie was hit bay 3 golf balls in the side at once while other golf balls flew past or hit the other wolves that were dead or knocked out those that were still alive.

**Camie** (Slurring her words as if she's drunk)**:** "Ohhhhh. You's got lucky dis time ya 'lil overgrown, masked rats." (*Cuckoo bird sound with imaginary birds flying in circles around her head—LOL*) "Next time yewwwsssss woooonn't beeeee….I'llllllll maaakeeee, ssssureeeee…" (Passes out)

Rogan breathes heavily and turns back to Sarah.

**Rogan:** "Sarah…"

Sarah slowly opens her eyes to see her mate by her side.

**Sarah:** "Rogan…"

**Rogan** (Smiles)**:** "Sarah!" (Kisses her) You're alive!" (Looks down at her wound) Are you ok…? Can you still walk?"

**Sarah **(Slowly starts to get up)**:** "Yeah. It's not bad. It's just a scratch…Really. I'm good."

**Rogan** (Helps Sarah up)**: **"Thank goodness."

**Sarah:** "Let's head home."

As she starts to walk she falls back down on the ground.

**Rogan:** "Sarah!"

**Sarah:** "Ow. I guess need a little longer to rest a bit before then."

**Rogan:** "But you're not resting anywhere near these wolves. Some are just unconscious. C'mon I'll carry you."

Rogan picks his mate up bridal-style and she shortly falls asleep after that. When he's in the woods he decides not to head back just yet. He stays in the trees and heads toward the range where the golfers are.

XXXXXXXXXX

Sarah awoke from the sound of rain falling, and something sucking on her. She can't believe her eyes when she sees RJ nursing. She's back in the burrow too. Rogan is coming back in from outside.

**Rogan:** "Sarah! You're awake! You're not going to believe this."

**Sarah:** "I'm already having a hard time believing everything else. I must have been out like a light."

**Rogan** (Grins and kisses Sarah)**:** "When I brought you in, RJ was still sleeping."

**Sarah** (eyes widen)**:** "What? Are you kidding?"

**Rogan:** "No. But he woke up as soon as I laid you down next to him, about 20 minutes ago."

Sarah kisses RJ on the head and wraps her arms around him.

**Rogan:** "Um Sarah."

**Sarah** (looks up at her mate)**:** "Yes."

**Rogan:** "We're leaving as soon as this storm's over. Like I said, some of those wolves were just out cold. And we both know from this morning that they know where we live."

**Sarah:** "But what if they see RJ while we're running from them? They'll try and…"

**Rogan:** "Not to worry. I've got the perfect solution to hide him while we're on the run… And defend ourselves if the time calls for it."

**Sarah:** "What do you mean—?"

Rogan simply points to the right. Propped up against a corner in the burrow was a small blue and black golf bag.

XXXXXXXXXX

Did I make any of you gasp at the very end? If not, then what if I told you all I'm STILL not even halfway through the story? It's just starting!

0o0 Right? (LOL). In case I don't get a chance to update anytime soon, let me go ahead and hope you all enjoy the holidays—which reminds me: there are some good OTH Christmas fanfics on this site worth looking at… And I'll see ya next time!


	10. Desperation and Determination

**Chapter 10: Desperation and Determination**

***Note:**** I know this is random and I should've said it in the first chapter for clarity, but Rogan and Sarah have brown fur, along with white fur covering their front side just like RJ in the movie. Rogan has ocean-green eyes and a vertical black stripe down his back while Sarah has blue eyes and no stripe. **

**And without further ado, here we go! **

As Rogan said, when the rain stopped Sarah put RJ in the golf bag and she and her mate fled. They traveled long and fast and while they had no idea where they were going most of the time, knowing the wolves might be tracking them already out weighted the importance of direction. They just ran. The good thing was that the bag had a club in it which the raccoons could use for self-defense, but only a fool would want to square off with a pack of wolves.

XXXXXXXX

The wolves actually hadn't even started pursuing the raccoons yet. Shark-Bite, Camie, Vance, and the other relatives who fled during the mountain explosion are about to finish Wretched's, Gerttie's and all their dead relatives' funeral. There are now only 7 wolves in the Wrong-Way pack, 2 in the Meat-Grinder pack, and 3 in the Cutter-Jaw pack. The Dead-Wood pack, as their name implies, are all dead. Having placed the bodies in holes they dug, all wolves turn their attention to Vance.

**Vance:** "Anybody have any words ta say?"

There's silence at first, but then Camie moves forward.

**Camie:** "Though we've lost a lotta dear family we still have each other… An' though my mom and pops are dead I know dat deep down to their rotten an' murderous cores dey wouldn't give up da hunt for our relatives' killers… As first born pup of da Wrong-Way pack I am now da pack's Godmother an' I wanna hear all of ya's gimme a howl if ya wanna carry all of our proud packs' wills an' see to it dat the stinkin', 'lil, dumpster-divin' raccoons pay for our loss!"

All wolves howl in agreement.

**Camie:** "Good…" (Pauses as she watches dawn creep over the horizon): "I promise on da graves of our relatives' dat we…Will…..Ice 'em… If we have ta chase 'em to da other side of da planet, WE WILL ICE DA COONS!" (Calms down): "But must we finish 'em off quick?"

**All wolves: **"NO!"

**Camie** (Grinning)**:** "What're we gonna do we catch 'em?"

**All wolves:** "Make 'em suffers!"

**Camie:** "An' after we make 'em suffers?"

**All wolves:** "Make 'em suffers more!

**Camie:** "Dat's right…We're gonna hurt 'em a life-time's worth for each 'an every relative who's dead!"

All the wolves revel in blood lust. Camie then raises up her paw to silence them all. She receives immediate effect.

**Camie** (Thinking)**:** "_God help me, does it feels __**good**__ ta have power…_" (Speaking)**:** "But first, let us all say good bye ta our loved ones… We'll rest for a day ta recover from our injuries. An' then say hello to da coons!"

The wolves bury their dead and congregate with one another. Vance walks up to his sister.

**Vance:** "Atta girl sis. Mom an' pops would be proud."

**Camie:** "Thanks bro." (Hugs him)

Camie now approaches Shark-Bite who's grinning at her.

**Shark-Bite:** "I always knew you's would make a great wolf pack godmother."

**Camie:** "Thanks Sharky…"

After a long kiss they look into each other's eyes.

**Shark-Bite:** "Wanna become mates? Here's? Now's? Ta ease da pain?"

**Camie:** "Of course Sharky."

**Vance** (Angry)**:** "Our parent's jus' died an' all you's can teenk about is becomin' mates? If ya's had any honor, you'd uphold our pops's condition of waitin' till after da coons're dead!"

Shark-Bite opens his mouth to retort back at Vance but **Camie **speaks before any words escape**:** "Shut up bro! I'm da godmother of our pack now! My words are law!"

Vance wants to object further but his sister's right. And he'd never object to his dad's standing as godfather if he was still alive.

**Vance:** "Okay…Lemme go tell da others."

As he walks away **Shark-Bite** whispers to Camie**:** "Even when we're mates, I'm not ever gonna call dat pain in da foot 'bro'."

**Camie:** "Forget about him Sharky… An' think about us…"

**Shark-Bite:** "I will for da rest of our lives…An' I know da perfect spot for our honeymoon. An' I'm wit you's about huntin' da coons all da way to da end…"

**Camie:** "I love ya's."

**Shark-Bite:** "I love you's too."

The both share the first of many kisses they'll do for the rest of their lives.

XXXXXXXX

The raccoons have gone past Montana and into South Dakota by now and have to rest. Rogan puts down the golf bag and takes RJ out. RJ begins to cry and Rogan hugs his son tight to his chest like he did the night he was born, but this time for the purpose of love not for muffling out his cries from the fear of being heard by the wolves.

**Rogan:** "It's okay RJ. We'll never let anything happen to you."

Sarah gets behind her mate and wraps her arms around him. Rogan brings RJ up higher so Sarah can touch her son as well.

**Sarah:** "I just noticed he has your stripe."

Rogan looks closer at RJ. Starting from the center if his eyebrows RJ, like his father, has a black stripe that runs up to the top of his head and all the way down his back to the tail.

Sarah begins to cry and Rogan faces her.

**Rogan:** "What is it?"

**Sarah:** "I want to raise our son like real parents… Not like fugitives always on the run."

**Rogan:** "I understand completely Sarah. And I think the only way to do that is to make it happen."

**Sarah:** "How?"

**Rogan:** "We're gonna have to trick the wolves… Lead them into a trap to their deaths the next time they come for us."

**Sarah:** "But Rogan…" (Changes her mind as she realizes something too obvious) "Well, we can't outrun them that's for sure."

**Rogan** (nods yes)**: **"Exactly. No amount of day's head starts could keep them from tracking our scent. And the metal stick in the bag (the golf club that is) isn't the only thing that we can use as a weapon."

After handing RJ to Sarah, Rogan unzips the side pouch of the bag and takes out a large pocket knife and extends the blade out.

**Rogan:** "This is very sharp and can cut through anything except rock. We can use it to sharpen sticks too." (Reaches in bag and pulls out 5 packs of golf ball tees) "If we put these in the ground sharp-side-up it'll really slow them down."

**Sarah:** "But we still can't go toe-to-toe with any of the wolves."

**Rogan:** "I know… Which is why I've already thought of a plan: Remember how we survived our first encounter with that Shark-Bite guy's pack?"

**Sarah:** "You mean the cliff?"

**Rogan:** "Yes. We need to scout around and find another… Preferably one without water at the bottom."

**Sarah:** "I see. So we'll get their attention, make them follow us, and lead them to the cliff; using the bag's items as weapons in case things get tough."

**Rogan** (Smiles)**:** "That's another reason why I love you Sarah: You're smart. Just like me…And hopefully, RJ inherited our wits too."

**Sarah:** "I'm pretty sure he did… And where will he be during the plan? Neither of us can run fast if we're carrying the bag."

**Rogan:** "I haven't thought about that yet, but it'll come to me sometime soon. For now we need a few minutes rest. Then we'll go looking for a cliff."

**Sarah:** "I think we need longer than that...much longer. We've been traveling all night and it's already dawn."

**Rogan:** "But the wolves might—"

**Sarah:** "Wolves or not, we NEED to rest. You've been carrying the bag with RJ in it all night. And the day before you carried me and the bag too. I've been walking and taking care of RJ the whole time, and RJ needs to sleep as well."

**Rogan:** "Still Sarah…"

**Sarah:** "Rogan, please stop thinking for survival and start thinking like a father… Though there _are_ wolves after us that doesn't mean you forget about your son's needs."

Rogan was going to argue, but then the 2 straight days' worth of walking, fatigue of carrying the bag, and no sleep suddenly hit him in that very instant… He was in no condition to continue now, and Sarah was right. He had to consider his son from now on. Whenever he wasn't asleep, RJ had been out and about during their long overnight travel.

Sarah then ended any further points of resistance with something Rogan should have guessed a long time ago.

**Sarah:** "And the wolves that are still alive got hurt pretty bad. They'll need to recuperate too. Heck, probably more than us."

**Rogan** (Sighs more in exhaustion than in defeat)**:** "You're right Sarah…I'm sorry." (Lowers head in sorrow)

**Sarah:** "It's alright Rogan… It must so tough for you having to adapt to parenthood while worrying about those wolves at the same time…"

**Rogan** (Raises his head back up to face Sarah)**:** "It is… And it's equally hard for you too, eh?"

**Sarah:** "Of course… But we'll get through this."

**Rogan:** "I know…"

The two kiss while hugging each other, then lay on the ground to sleep, all the while as they hold RJ close to their chests.

XXXXXXX

After waking up the raccoons resume their journey. It takes them about 3 hours, but they come across a cliff to lure the wolves over. In fact, it's the perfect one. The entire edge is hidden behind bushes that are so high and thick that one would never know there was a long drop to death on the other side…until it was too late that is. More importantly, there's a ledge 4 feet below the top of the drop that's big enough to hold all of them, but too small to hold a wolf. Best of all, there is nothing but rock and earth at the bottom and the cliff is much, much higher than the one Shark-Bite survived last time. Any fall and impact below would be a 100% guarantee death for anything, no matter how lucky or resilient it is.

XXXXXXX

As the morning sun rises in the sky, the rays pass through the alcove that was once the Silver Fang wolf pack's hideout. Inside, Camie and Shark-Bite slowly wake up and face each other.

**Camie:** "Good mornin' my big, tough mate."

**Shark-Bite:** "Mornin' to you's as well, gorgeous… Hungry for some breakfast?"

**Camie: **"…Starvin'…But I'd like ta taste somethin' else first." (Leans closer to him)

**Shark-Bite** (Leans closer to her)**:** "Yeah…me too."

Both are about to kiss when someone spoils the moment.

**Vance** (Enters the alcove)**:** "Hey ya two love birds, wake up! It's time ta go an' hunt da coons."

**Shark-Bite and Camie in unison:** "SHUT UP VAN/BRO!"

**Vance **(As he's turning to leave)**:** "Ok, ok…Sheesh. Someone's have woken up on da wrong side of da grass."

After Vance is gone the two mates kiss.

**Camie:** "Can't wait ta kiss ya once ya's got fresh coon meat in ya mouth."

**Shark-Bite:** "Likewise."

After that, they leave, meet up with the rest of their pack, and start hunting for the raccoons.

XXXXXXXXX

Back at the cliff, Sarah and Rogan have just finished putting the golf tees in the ground.

**Rogan: **"Let's go over the plan one more time. I'll be 60 yards back the way we came and get the wolves' attention. Once that happens, I'll holler to you, and double back here."

**Sarah:** "When you pass between the two trees with knots in the middle, avoiding where we've put the ball tees, the wolves will step on them and I'll start throwing rocks from above to distract them."

**Rogan:** "When I pass the trees and you distract them, I'll be going to pick up the bag with RJ in it and take him to the ledge below the cliff drop and wait for you."

**Sarah:** "After I hold them off for a few moments, I get down and start heading to the cliff. When I'm about to go through the bushes, I'll yell 'Rogan? Rogan?' as if I don't know where you are."

**Rogan:** "I'll play along by saying 'I'm on the other side of these bushes Sarah!' and get ready to help you down and onto the ledge."

**Sarah:** "And the key is to act like we're afraid."

**Rogan **(Grins)**:** "What could go wrong right?"

**Sarah:** "Right. Let's do this."

XXXXXXXXX

It's been 4 hours and the wolves are already in South Dakota; hot on the raccoons' trail.

**Wrong-Way Trevor** (Camie/Vance's uncle)**:** "We're almost there's."

**Cutter-Jaw Tina** (Camie's 2nd cousin)**:** "Ya sure Trev?"

**Wrong-Way Belle** (Trevor's mate)**:** "My mate's nose never lies ta him, ever."

**Wrong-Way Wes** (Trevor's stepson)**:** "Can we stop 'n take a break?"

**Cutter-Jaw Phil** (Tina's dad)**:** "Of course we can…NOT! Would your's dead daddy want you ta take a break if he was wit us huntin' his relatives' killers? Don't teenk so, lazy pup!"

**Meat-Grinder Vickie:** "Cut da kid some slack Phil…He's gotta point too. We've been runnin' for 4 nonstop hours."

**Camie:** "We ain't stoppin' till we kill da coons!"

Obeying their new pack godmother, the wolves continue on. About 20 minutes later, the scent of the raccoons is so strong that they can't be more than 100 yards away. Then they see Rogan in the distance. Slowly and quietly, the wolves sneak closer.

XXXXXXXX

Rogan has been waiting for the wolves so long that he was actually dying for them to show up before he was bored to death. He's suddenly on full alert when he smells the scent of wolves in the area.

**Rogan** (Sounding as if he's surprised)**:** "W-Who's there?"

There's nothing but silence.

**Rogan **(shrugs and turns around)**:** "Hmm, must've been my imagination—"

All the wolves jump out of hiding and growl menacingly at Rogan who screams out of pure reflex and runs as fast as his legs can carry him, being closely pursed by the wolf pack.

XXXXXXXX

Sarah is waiting on a tree branch when she heard Rogan's scream. She gets in position and waits for the wolves to emerge.

As soon as she was ready, Rogan came sprinting past the two trees with knots in them with the wolves close by. The wolves, as expected, step right on the spiky end of the golf tees, screaming in both pain and shock.

**Vance:** "Dose 'lil runts set a trap! Dey set a—ARGH!"

Vance is hit in the head with a stone Sarah threw from up top. Camie looks up and glares hatefully at Sarah.

**Camie** (Yelling in rage)**:** "WHEN I GET DAT COON, I'M GONNA EAT HER UNBORN BABY FIRST!"

Camie's remark is answered by a rock to the nose, but she's too determined to kill the raccoon to be fazed by it. Her pack is no exception either and they were now starting to get closer despite Sarah's rock barrage from above.

Sarah decides to go ahead and run for the cliff. She climbs down from the tree but is shocked to see that all the wolves are at the end of the golf tee trap. Before getting away she stops, looks for the particular direction that will take her to the ledge after the cliff end, and runs once she's found it.

XXXXXXXXX

Unbeknown to Sarah, Vance had been watching her ever since she came to the ground, and he was suspicious…

**Trevor:** "Argh! My paws!"

**Tina:** "I teenk I broke a nail! Oww!"

**Wes**: "Let's kill dose overgrown rats!" (Gets up to chase Sarah)

**Vance:** "Wait! Did ya see her when she got back on da ground?"

**Shark-Bite:** "Who cares? Let's go an' kill 'em!"

**Vance:** "Listen ta me for da first time in ya's life Shark-Bite! If I were dat coon I would've run without thought in any direction as soon as I got outta da tree. But she took her time ta choose where ta go before runnin'…"

**Camie:** "What're saying bro?"

All the wolves listen in closely as Vance gives his explanation. They thunder after Sarah after he's done.

XXXXXXX

Sarah is nearing the bushes and looks back. The wolves aren't as close as she had thought they'd be. She guessed it was because their paws where hurt badly, preventing them from running as fast.

**Sarah:** "Rogan? Rogan?"

**Rogan's voice:** "I'm on the other side of these bushes Sarah!"

Sarah goes through the bushes and to the cliff's edge. She starts to climb down fast and fells Rogan's hands grip her waist from below. She lets go and Rogan brings her safely down to the ledge where the golf bag with RJ inside is also lying.

**Rogan** (Whispering)**:** "They're coming?"

**Sarah** (Whispering)**:** "Yeah. It should be any second now."

The two anxiously wait for 10 seconds, but to their surprise, nothing happens.

**Voice:** "Dat trick wit my pack won't work twice!"

Rogan and Sarah jump from terror and look up to see Shark-Bite peering down at them from the edge, grinning mischievously. The wolves didn't fall for it! (Pun intended).

**Shark-Bite **(looks to the left)**: **"Thanks for da tip based off you's good eye…Bro."

**Vance:** "It was my pleasure…Bro."

**Belle** (Sly)**: **"Had it not been for ya's close observation of da lady coon pausing ta pick which direction ta run in, coupled wit da fact of 'em having dat mine-field-of-golf-tees we agonizingly went through, we would'a blindly followed her at full speed into another trap and fall 'n splat…"

**Camie** (Also sly)**:** "We gotta admit to ya's coons dat ya both are pretty smart…"

**Wes** (Ditto)**:** "But not smart enough ta outwit wolves!"

**Phil** (Ditto)**:** "What'da ya think we are? Stupid?"

**Tina:** "Since the two o' ya got no place ta go anymore, stay on dat ledge as long as ya like!" (Snickers evilly)

**Camie** (Playfully)**:** "Ya's got's ta come up an' get food sometime…"

**Vance:** "…An' we'll be waitin'!" (Laughs)

Sarah looks to her mate in horror, but Rogan's eyes are looking down below. When she looks down she notices that there's a tree near the bottom of the cliff. It's tall, but it's VERY, VERY, VERY far down.

**Rogan** (Whispering while still looking down at the tree)**:** "Let's go for it…"

**Sarah** (Whispering)**:** "Are you insane?"

**Rogan** (Looks at Sarah)**:** "Otherwise we'll die a slow death of starvation."

**Sarah:** "But we could hit the side of the cliff on our way down or miss the tree altogether."

**Rogan:** "That's a possibility…But we really have no other options."

**Sarah** (Sighs)**:** "…How will we do this? You go first then me?"

**Rogan:** "No. We jump together. We'll share the golf bag strap, jump down, and grab the first branch we see."

**Sarah:** "Got it."

Rogan and Sarah slowly and carefully start putting the golf bag strap around themselves, this catches the wolves' attention.

**Vance:** "Hey! What're you sneaky, ring-tailed dopes tryin' to pull?"

Rogan and Sarah ignore the comment (and those that will follow) and keep doing what they doing.

**Vickie:** "It looks like dey's getting' in a position so both of 'em can carry da golf bag."

**Shark-Bite: **"Are dey actually…" (Notices the tree at the bottom) "…No way… There's a tree way down there's…"

**Camie:** "Ya's aren't gonna make it even if ya's try!"

XXXXXXXXX

Rogan and Sarah now walk to the ledge's end. They look at each other to say something in case they die. But their eyes speak instead: "I love you" is the message written in their pupils. They kiss, take a deep breath, and then jump off, screaming as they descend.

The wolves are too astonished to believe what the raccoons did to even speak. They just watch dumb-stricken as the raccoon couple quickly falls out of site.

XXXXXXXXXX

Rogan briefly stops screaming as they near the tree.

**Rogan** (Yelling over his mate's screams)**:** "Get ready to grab anything you can Sarah!"

**Sarah **(Stops screaming to look at Rogan)**:** "Okay Rogan!"

After a few more seconds of free falling, they're now on top of the tree canopy. While the tree and its branches aren't as hard as they thought—but quite flexible instead—the speed they were falling makes each branch they hit hurt nevertheless They fall through 5 rows of branches, but still keep trying to find a firm hold.

Finally, Sarah finds a good grip on something at the same time Rogan does. Their grip slips, but it slowed them down enough to stop their fall completely. They now lay on a wide and strong branch a few feet from the ground.

Both raccoons groan as the pain sets in.

**Sarah:** "You alright?"

**Rogan:** "Yeah…more or less."

They look down at their bodies and notice several cuts and bruises, but nothing too severe. No broken bones either.

**Sarah:** "Let's check on Jr."

Sarah sleazes her way out of the strap and Rogan rests the golf bag on the tree branch. Sarah peers in to see that RJ, while shaking from fear, is unharmed.

**Sarah:** "He's just fine."

**Rogan:** "Thank goodness…" (Feels some pain) "Oohhhh…We need to treat these wounds."

**Sarah:** "But not now. We need to rest just for a few minutes. Besides, the wolves don't know we survived. If we don't move maybe they'll think we're dead."

**Rogan** (Scoffs)**:** "Those stubborn jerks? If they've come this far to kill us, I don't think they'll take any chances. But you're right about resting."

XXXXXXX

Back up top, the wolves are all fixated on the tree, their eyes, ears, and noses on full alert to the first possible sign of life.

**Phil:** "I think dey's iced. Nothin' could'a survived dat fall…"

Most of the wolves ease up except for Camie, Shark-Bite, and Vance.

**Tina:** "Hey you's guys, it's over—"

**Camie, Shark-Bite and Vance in unison: **"Shut up!"

**Wes:** "They's dead, alright! D-e-a-d, dead!"

**Vance:** "My pops always said 'never assume nothin'…ever!'"

**Camie:** "'Ya's gotta always confirm a kill wit ya's own eyes.'"

**Trevor:** "Can't we jus' go now—"

**Shark-Bite:** "Shh! I hear's somethin'!"

The wolves regain their attention and their sensitive hearing picks up Rogan and Sarah talking half a mile below.

**Shark-Bite** (Soft at first but gradually escalates volume with each word)**:** "Those…resilient…'lil…masked…_**WORMS!**_ Why won't dey die already?"

XXXXXXX

Below Rogan and Sarah hear Shark-Bite's voice echoing from above.

**Rogan**: "Those…persistent…stubborn…vengeful…_**PESTS!**_ Why won't they just leave us alone?"

**Sarah** (Puts both paws on Rogan's shoulders and speaks calmly)**:** "Enough…Let's just get outta here."

Rogan relaxes, takes a deep breath, and then lets it out; his anger flowing away with it.

**Rogan:** "Ok. And we do have a head start. It'll take them a long time to find a way down."

Both raccoons slowly get out of the tree, pick a direction, and walk; knowing that the wolves will come for them sooner or later.

XXXXXXXXX

Well there you have it, Chapter 10!

While I understand many of you are just dying for more updates, and I appreciate that you all enjoy the story, I ask that you please be patient and know that I'm a busy (and sometimes lazy) guy just like anyone else.

I _do_ like writing these stories, but many other things in my life come first. I can't specify when the next update will be for this or my other stories, but I _can_ tell you that the next update(s) will happen whenever I post it/them up. Vague, I know…but that's the way it is.

See you next time!


	11. A Departure and Promise

**Chapter 11: A Departure and Promise**

It's been 2 years now and RJ is capable of foraging for food, but only with his parents help. And unfortunately, wherever the raccoons went they just couldn't shake off the wolves that were determined to kill them no matter what. All they did was run and only fought if the situation favored them. The only upside was that RJ remained hidden from the wolves. But playing hide-and-seek with the wolves for 2 years wasn't going to get any better and every time the raccoons had a confrontation it was a narrow victory, even with all the additional items Rogan "acquired" over the years.

Having evaded the wolves for the time being, Rogan and Sarah find a gully to rest for the night. They take RJ out, feed him, and then lull him to sleep.

**Sarah:** "How much longer do we have to put up with this Rogan?"

**Rogan:** "I don't know…"

**Sarah:** "I can't escape the fear that the wolves will discover Junior the next time we meet them…"

Rogan understands his mate's concern, but can't think of a solution… Then, it hits him, but he knows Sarah, like him, isn't going to like it.

**Rogan:** "We _can_ escape that fear Sarah."

**Sarah:** "How?"

**Rogan** (takes a deep breath and sighs)**:** "We keep running, but leave Junior behind…"

**Sarah:** "NO! I won't leave my baby! How can you say that Rogan! He's just 2 years old!"

**Rogan:** "I don't like it either Sarah, but as long as we're alive, the wolves will never stop looking for us. But they don't know about RJ yet… They're after _us_ not him. He'll be safe if we leave him behind."

**Sarah:** "No he won't! He could get hurt! He could get lost! He'll be all alone Rogan with no home or family and no one to care for him, feed him, or love him."

**Rogan **(Eyes start watering)**:** "I know, I know… But 'could' doesn't mean 'will'. There's a chance he'll be able to live on his own and survive."

**Sarah** (Eyes water)**:** "A chance isn't a guarantee."

**Rogan:** "True… but—"

**Sarah:** "Don't you love you son, Rogan?"

**Rogan** (Grips his mate on both her shoulders and is looking at her in the eyes with the utmost sincerity)**:** "With all my heart… Which is why we need to leave him so he won't be killed by the wolves chasing us?"

**Sarah:** "There are so many creatures far more dangerous than wolves out in the world for a full grown raccoon, much less a kit!"

**Rogan:** "Yes, you're right… But those other 'creatures' you mentioned aren't looking specifically for him like the wolves that are after us."

**Sarah: **"I WON'T leave my son behind! Neither should you!"

Rogan pauses for a bit. The pause is enough to convince Sarah that her mate agrees with her, but then he speaks.

**Rogan:** "We have to accept the possibility that we won't make it out of this predicament alive…But we must make sure that our son is out of harm's way, otherwise he'll get killed and all of our efforts will have been for nothing."

**Sarah:** "And if we leave him and he gets killed by something else, it will have been for nothing too!"

**Rogan:** "Sarah…"

**Sarah** (yelling in anger)**:** "NO! That's that! End of discussion! What kind of father would you be if you left your own son out all alone in the wilderness? I'll tell you: the worst father ever! And I'd be the worst mother for doing the same! We aren't leaving him because we love him!"

Sarah breathes deeply; her words having a visible effect on Rogan's face and feelings, but not on his will.

**Rogan:** "What do parents who love their children really do? They ensure that their child survives. They protect him or her from danger and do whatever it takes to keep him or her alive…By leaving him behind we won't be doing this because we don't love Jr., but _because_ we love him. Only death awaits our son if he stays with us. But he has a shot of survival if we keep running—taking the wolves as far away from him as possible—and leave him. We'll leave the bag as well: it'll give him shelter, as well as items to forage for food and protect himself while he's still young and when he's older he can carry it to wherever he goes in his life.

"You're absolutely right: he'll be alone. He most likely _will_ get hurt and lost, and he'll get scared. But it's better to be alone, to get hurt, lost and afraid and be alive than it is to experience none of those hardships if he's dead.

"We'll hate ourselves for it—RJ will hate us for it—but we'll always be able to take comfort in the fact that the wolves won't get the satisfaction of our broken hearts by killing our son. You've seen the look in the wolves' eyes, the words they've spoken. They are willing, no determined, to hunt us down to the other side of the world if they have to. So I say we give them a run for their money: we'll see just how long and far they're really determined to go in order to get us. Wherever we go, it'll take them farther away from Junior, keep him safe from certain death at the very least. They know by now that you've had your child, but don't know where to look, let's keep it that way…_because we love our son_.

Sarah heeds the words her mate has spoken. All of them were as unexpected as they are clear.

**Rogan: **"Make your choice…I'll leave it up to you."

Sarah looks at her son sleeping: he was so innocent, so young, and so lucky to have been completely unaware of the conversation she and Rogan had been carrying on. She closes her eyes—tears falling from them—takes a deep breath, then opens her eyes again and sharply responds.

XXXXXXXX

As RJ continues to sleep, his parents approach him. His mother steps forward and puts his unconscious body in her arms in a tight hug. She is barely able to hold back her sobbing, but manages to cry at a volume that wouldn't wake him up. Tears are flowing from her eyes like water in a sink.

**Sarah:** "I love you Rogan Jr.! I'll always love you! Please know that I will LOVE YOU WITHOUT END! That's why I'm doing this…! I'm so sorry, but I have to do this! I'll never stop thinking about you! I'll never forgive myself, but I will _ALWAYS LOVE YOU, SON_!"

After some more crying and kisses, Sarah puts her son back down and makes way for her mate. But rather than quietly walking over to his son, Rogan immediately dashes over with all the speed he can muster and quickly picks up his son to embrace him in a fatherly hug. And unlike Sarah, Rogan cannot hold back his weeping: he bawls at the top of his lungs, not caring if he wakes RJ up, as a waterfall of tears gush out of his eyes.

**Rogan:** "JUNIOR! ROGAN JUNIOR! I LOVE YOU! I LOVE YOU SON! I LOVE YOU MORE THAN _ANYTHING_ ON THIS EARTH WHICH IS WHY I'M DOING THIS! YOU'LL DIE IF WE DON'T LEAVE YOU BEHIND SO WE HAVE NO CHOICE BUT TO DO THIS…...AND IT'S ALL _MY_ FAULT! I SHOULD NEVER HAVE TAKEN THAT RING AND PUT IT ON MY MATE!" (Inhales deeply) "I WOULD GIVE ANYTHING TO TAKE BACK WHAT I DID SO I WE COULD HAVE BEEN A TRUE FAMILY! I'M SORRY FOR DOING THIS! I'M SORRY FOR _EVERYTHING_ THAT WILL HAPPEN TO YOU! BUT KNOW THAT _YOUR MOTHER AND I __WILL ALWAYS LOVE YOU_!"

Sarah tries to calm Rogan down or at least get him to get more quiet, but then she too is overcome with sorry and bawls as loud as her mate; however, she makes sure to state what she and her mate swore to do as an exchange of her agreeing with Rogan's plan to leave their son behind.

**Sarah:** "IF WE EVER GET RID OF THE WOLVES WHO ARE AFTER US WE PROMISE TO DO EVERYTHING IN OUR POWER TO COME BACK FOR YOU!"

**Rogan:** "WE'LL COME BACK FOR YOU SON! I SWEAR ON MY LIFE THAT WE WILL COME BACK TO FIND YOU! _NO MATTER HOW MANY YEARS IT TAKES_: **_WE…WILL…COME…BACK…FOR YOU_!** I PROMISE!"

Sarah has to finally pull her mate to make him let go of their son; even dragging him on the ground while his paws made claw marks in the dirt.

**Sarah:** "WE'RE SORRY RJ! WE LOVE YOU! AND WE WILL FIND AND COME BACK FOR YOU IF WE SURVIVE!"

**Rogan** (much softer now)**:** "We'll come back for you! We'll find you! We'll come back for you…We love you…I love you, Rogan Jr…I love you…"

**Sarah** (also much softer)**: **"We promise that we will find you one day...After we lose the wolves for good we will come back to you…I love you RJ…"

The couple faces each other and embraces. They take one last look at their still-sleeping son then head off…leaving him alone.

XXXXXXXX

I'm really sorry for the sad chapter, but this fic _is_ a drama and RJ's parents truly didn't want to do it, but had no other choice. Decisions, decisions right?

And I'll go ahead and say that it will probably be a LONG time until I update this fic and my other fics. I'm in college again and am going to have a very tough semester. So please understand that while there will be delays, that I will finish this story (eventually; it's gonna be pretty long) and will update it whenever I have the time and am in the mood.

Byeeeee! …For now ;)


	12. All Alone

**Chapter 12: All Alone**

When morning came RJ began to stir as the sunlight hits his face. He yawned and woke up expecting to see his parents lying down with him, but to his dismay, they were not.

**RJ:** "Hm?" When he stood up, he called out, "Mommy? Daddy? Where are you?"

When there was no response he called again, this time louder; however, the same result happened: no response. RJ then concluded his parents must be out getting breakfast and decided to wait for them to return.

He notices the blue and black golf bag close by him.

**RJ **(thinking)**:** "_Hm. Daddy's bag. I wonder what's inside it_."

The kit pokes his head into the bag and finds a golf club, scissors, a cigarette lighter, pocket knife, Swiss-army knife, metal fork and spoon, plastic spork, golf balls, and golf tees. But more importantly finds some berries, acorns, walnuts, pecans and 5 small fish in a Ziploc bag. RJ wastes no time grabbing the things he wants the most and starts eating. But only when he's finished does the question reoccur in his mind: where are his parents? There's plenty of food in the bag, which means they obviously aren't out to get food if the items already in the bag will last several weeks.

This made RJ worry again. He got back up and started calling out for them, only this time it's much more frantic. He runs around the woodland area he's in, calling for his mom and dad. While he is calling, many thoughts swirl in his mind such as what if his parents are hurt or lost?, what would he do if they don't come back?, where will he go?, are they alright?, are they just taking longer than usual to get back?

In his clamor to look for his mom and dad, RJ accidentally bumped into a tree and fell on the ground. But being a small bump, it didn't hurt him and he regained his footing.

**RJ **(thinking)**:** "_Of course, I'll climb up here and look for them from a bird's eye view._"

Though the plan sounded easy, RJ had never climbed a tree on his own before, so he felt a knot in his stomach from the anxiety. But the need to find his parents outweighed his fear. He carefully and slowly made his way up the tree for what seemed like 30 minutes which in real time was just a few seconds.

He kept his eye on a branch that he would stop on before going higher…The thought of which made his wonder how high he already was. He slowly looked down…and gaped at how far he was up. Though he was no more than 12 feet off the ground, for a small kit it might well have been 120 feet. He glanced back toward the branch he intended to reach which now seemed 50 feet higher. He looked back down again. Fear gripped his mind and froze his muscles stiff. Fear gave way to panic…and panic to limpness…

RJ had been so overwhelmed with acrophobia that he didn't even notice his grip on the tree was slipping until it was too late. No he was falling. He closed his eyes and braced for impact.

Needless to say that he hit the ground rather hard. Pain over took him and he did what any 2 year old kit would do: cry. Cry hard. His right leg, left arms, and upper back hurt the most, but even though they hurt he can at least be certain that his crying would bring his parents back to him. No parents who _really_ loved their child would ignore him or her if they were hurt, right?

But after 3 long minutes, RJ's parents are still nowhere in sight. Now RJ cries because of the physical pain _and _the emotional/psychological pain knowing that his parents aren't here to help him—unaware that something is drawing closer to his position, following the sound of his screams.

When leaves start to rustle, RJ eagerly looks up and expects to see his parents coming to him. Instead, it's a male red tail fox.

**Fox:** "Oh, um…hi there. I heard you screaming. You hurt?"

**RJ** (voice thick from crying)**:** "Yes…I'm hurt really bad. Are you one of my mommy and daddy's friends?"

**Fox** (thinking)**:** "_Oh. This is gonna be easy! I'll certainly use this to my advantage_. (out loud and doing his best to show concern) "Yes little kit, I AM one of your parent's friends. I've known your mommy, uh, Susan and your daddy…um, Alfred a few months now. And being their friend, I like to call 'em Suzie and Alfie."

Though the fox did a terrible job at lying, and knowing that the kit might correct him about his parents' real names and thus be onto him, the next thing he hears lets him know otherwise.

**RJ:** "Oh, so that's what their names are…And if you like to call them nicknames, then you really are one of their friends!"

**Fox **(thinking)**:** "_Did I say 'easy'? I meant this is __too perfect!__ Geesh, this kid is so naïve. He's falling for it!_"

**RJ:** "I'm RJ, what's your name Mr. Fox."

**Fox **(playing along)**:** "You just said it kid, 'Mr. Fox' that's my name! Boy, you are one really smart kit! Just like your parents"

**RJ:** "Do you know where they are?"

**Fox:** "Why yes, of course I do! They're on a vacation. They've gone to…um, uh, Niagara Falls for the weekend."

**RJ:** "What's a 'vacation,' Mr. Fox?"

**Fox **(thinking)**:** "_Oh my gosh…this kid is clueless! I thought coons were supposed to be smart…And my pals used to make fun of ME for being a dumb fox, always saying I'm too stupid to fit the phrase 'Smart as a Fox'! That may be the case, but compared to this kit I'm Albert Einstein!_" (out loud) "Well, _RJ_, my little buddy, a vacation is a trip creatures go on for fun. Your parents are, ummmmm…celebrating their anniversary and I'm here to look after you until they get back. Now you said you were hurt right?"

**RJ **(nods yes)**:** "Uh-huh."

**Fox:** "Where?"

**RJ:** "M-my left arm, my leg, and my back."

**Fox** (pretending to be concerned)**:** "Awwwww, you poor thing. Here let me, Mr. Fox—your parents' best friend and designated babysitter—help you feel better."

"Mr. Fox" walks up to RJ and licks the places RJ said it hurt.

**Fox** (thinking)**:** "_Mmmmm! He tastes delicious. Much better than that rabbit I had for dinner 3 days ago. Ever since then I've had nothing to eat._ (out loud) "Feel any better?"

**RJ:** "I guess so."

**Fox: **"Good. I'll keep licking you until it doesn't hurt anymore." (thinking) "_Then I'll take a big chomp and you'll never hurt again!_"

**RJ:** "Actually, I feel much better already."

**Fox:** "I want you to feel 100% better!"

**RJ:** "No, really. I'm good. In fact, I'm gonna go back to my dad's bag and rest for a while."

**Fox** (losing his patience)**:** "No-no! You still need to let e—um, tend to your injuries just a little longer."

**RJ:** "Don't worry Mr. Fox, I—"

**Fox** (angry)**: **"Listen to me you little runt, how's a fox supposed to get a bite to eat around here if you can't keep your trap shut!"

RJ's eyes widen in fear as much as the Fox's eyes widen in surprise that he let it slip. He was not "smart as a fox" after all…

**RJ** (scared)**:** "Y-y-you wanna e-e-e-eat me?"

**Fox:** "Look kid, it's nothing personal but you're lower on the food chain and I haven't had a bite in 3 days."

RJ quickly glances down and pick up some dirt with his right paw as the fox continues.

**Fox:** "Don't worry, it'll be quick and painless, I swear. And by the way, I was just lying to ya about knowing your parents. But I can go ahead and tell ya that they must have never loved you in the first place if they left ya all by yourself. I mean, talk about cold! My mom and dad weren't exactly 'model parents' themselves but at least they loved me enough to raise me. You must'a been an accident or something cuz I don't know of ANY creature in the animal kingdom that'd abandon their own flesh and blood. So in a way, I'm actually doin' ya a favor by putting you outta your misery. If no one loves ya, cares about ya, or thinks you're not worth their time to bring up, then you are all alone. Your death won't change anything; it'd be like you never existed. Mmmm, speaking of which, I'm gonna—"

But before he could finish, RJ throws the dirt right into the fox's eyes. The fox recoils from the burning pain and starts rubbing his eyes. RJ wastes no time in hurrying back to the golf bag as fast as he can on one good leg. He reaches it as soon as he hears a snarl from where he just came from.

**Fox's voice** (enraged)**:** "You'll pay for that you squirt! Now I'm gonna eat ya nice and slowly to savor every bite!"

RJ finds the golf club and pulls it out. But it's too heavy for him to pick up. He turns and sees the fox running straight for him!

RJ drops the club and goes through the bag a second time and pulls out the pocket knife. He turns toward the direction of the fox to face it—but the fox has already leaped in the air and bearing down toward him!

In pure fear, not intention, RJ backs up and trips over the golf club. He falls to the ground while his hand hold the knife is sticking straight up. There's a loud yelp. Followed by the fox's weight falling on top of RJ who blacks out.

XXXXXXXX

RJ woke up to the sound of crows and ravens cawing. He opened his eyes and saw more of the birds coming to where he was. And when he turns to the left, he sees why.

The fox was lying on the ground 20 yards from RJ who catches sight a long trail of crimson liquid. Something glimmers in the late afternoon sun half way between the distance separating RJ and the fox. RJ got up and cautiously advanced to the glimmer, keeping his eyes on the fox and preparing to run if it woke up. But when RJ saw what was causing the glimmer, it became obvious that the fox wasn't going to get up any time soon…or ever again. For the item causing the glimmer was RJ's pocket knife, the blade covered in red.

RJ gasped: He had killed the fox…! Emotions welled up inside him; he didn't know whether to feel sad, relived, sorry, glad, afraid, pride, or anything.

But the emotion that emerged was rage. Although RJ had saved his life from the fox that would have killed him, RJ never wanted it to end in the way it did; in fact, none of it would have ever happened if his parents had not left him! Had they not left him, RJ would still be living a life filled with love and—having not even heard or remembered his parents' ordeal with the wolves—for all he knew, no danger from predators like the vulpine that now lay on the ground dead by RJ's own hand!

When RJ glanced back at the fox's lifeless body, it seemed to be mocking him as he remembers what the fox had said.

**Fox's voice in RJ's mind:** "_I was just lying to ya about knowing your parents. But I can go ahead and tell ya that they must have never loved you in the first place if they left ya all by yourself. I mean, talk about cold! My mom and dad weren't exactly 'model parents' themselves but at least they loved me enough to raise me. You must'a been an accident or something cuz I don't know of ANY creature in the animal kingdom that'd abandon their own flesh and blood. So in a way, I'm actually doin' ya a favor by putting you outta your misery. If no one loves ya, cares about ya, or thinks you're not worth their time to bring up, then you are all alone. Your death won't change anything; it'd be like you never existed_."

At once, RJ hated his parents. He threw a tantrum; yelling, screaming, and hitting anything his paws could touch. "WHY? WHY DID YOU LEAVE ME MOM AND DAD? WHY? WHY WEREN'T YOU HERE FOR ME WHEN I NEEDED YOU? WHY WEREN'T YOU HERE WHEN I GOT HURT, OR SCARED, OR ALMOST EATEN BY A FOX? _WHHHHYYY_? ALL I WANNA KNOW IS WHY!"

In his blind lashing rage, he unintentionally kicked his foot against a large rock. Now his ragging turns into crying…But then, he remembers what happened the last time he cried from the pain.

He still hurts, and tears flow down his eyes like a facet in a sink, but RJ covers his mouth with both hands and turns his screams into long grunts. It wasn't an easy task, but if no one was there to make him feel better or protect him, he knew he'd have to do both himself.

XXXXXXXXXX

By nightfall, RJ makes his way back to his dad's bag—well, considering that his so-called "parents" deserted him for no apparent reason, RJ figured it was _his_ bag now. He wasn't strong enough to pick up and carry the bag on his own, meaning he'd have to live where he is now until that time came. Then he'd leave this place and try to find his parents, or maybe other relatives he assumed he had.

However, little did he know that he had no other relatives: no brothers, sisters, cousins, uncles, aunts, stepparents, stepsiblings, godparents…Nothing.

With his parents abandoning him, RJ was all alone.

XXXXXXX

As most of you probably expected: college is almost over, classes are winding down, and I've completed all my homework save for studying for exams, which leaves me with plenty of free time on my hand to work on my fics!

I'll go ahead and point out that this is where the more depression parts of the story begin. But later on it'll get more up-toned. I guess I'll work on finishing this story before focusing back on OTH: Soul Mates Part 3…or maybe I'll work on both at the same time, I don't really know.

But I'll hopefully be able to update my stories at a quicker pace this summer than in the past summers since I'll have a new job that won't wear me out by the end of everyday unlike my old construction job, which will leave me with enough energy to type up my stories. I can't be certain that this will happen, but my next update will have the answer.

See you next time!


	13. Family of One

**Chapter 13: Family of One**

RJ's experience of growing up all by himself was not a very pleasant one. During the day he was foraging for food wherever it appeared, usually getting the leftovers or the less tasteful morsels while the better food was hogged by stronger and more experienced animals. And at night he had to stay half-awake in case something tried to attack him or steal his bag.

When he was little, he was scared of the dark as any young child would be, and having no parents to comfort him or reassure him that there was really nothing to be afraid of only made matters worse.

When he was 10 years old, he could finally carry his golf bag. He left the spot where he had grown up and never looked back.

Originally, RJ had wanted to find his parents, but the fact that they left him and never came back for him in the 8 years of their absence convinced RJ they would never come back. This also convinced him that his parents never loved him…making him extremely bitter, particularly whenever he saw some animals in their own families.

RJ always looked at such animals with scorn and kept thinking: "_Yeah, they __have__ a family. Their parents __love__ them! But not mine! They don't know what it's like living without a family or what it's like raising yourself. It bites! They have everything I __never__ had and take it for granted! Talk about ungrateful. They wouldn't last one day living in the type of world I've had to live in while they were being cared for by their parents…Not that they care about my life anyway because they HAVE A FAMILY to keep their minds off all the stuff that makes life horrible! _

"_Screw 'em! Screw their parents! Screw their families! Screw their love! Screw 'em all! I hate them! I hate what they have! I hate what I don't have!...I hate my life…_"

But despite all his hatred, whenever he settled down to go to sleep, he always asked himself the question that had plagued his mind since the first day his parents had abandoned him: "Why?"

He knew the answer would never come.

**RJ thinking:** "_But why can't you stop asking yourself that same question…?_"

XXXXXX

Now in Iowa and 13 years old, RJ had learned that foraging for food in the forest was so stone-aged when all a woodland creature had to do was approach a human's house to scavenge the garbage cans for any leftover food. He was currently sitting in one eating some food. Sometimes the food was a little spoiled or covered in bugs…

**RJ to himself while eating:** "But it sure beats the heck outta searching to find something to eat that's in a ticked-off animal's turf…"

RJ had learned that lesson the hard way when he was 10.

XXXXXX

On one of his travels he had nabbed a miniature fishing pole, cat-eye sunglasses, an inflatable life raft, and a boomerang from a poorly-guarded carrying bin Australian tourists were unloading before heading leaving a motel and heading to some place called "Mount Rushmore." RJ had no clue where or what that place was, but being a raccoon whose genes made him a greedy little critter, he couldn't resist grabbing the cool items.

It amazed RJ at how ignorant humans were whenever they were in what they liked to call "the great outdoors;" and the irony is that they said it liked they owned nature itself. But nature didn't have an owner, it belonged to everyone in RJ's opinion and by "everyone" he meant the multitude of animals inhabiting it.

But despite his personal beliefs, RJ couldn't disagree that humans had some very nifty gadgets and gizmos that he would have been dead without. And the fishing pole he had obtained that day had gotten him out of a big pickle.

Having observed how humans caught fish, RJ copied the method and had been patiently waiting for a bite to happen for about 30 minutes. When he felt the line being tugged, the kit knew he had something big…something that would feed his stomach for a whole week!

It was a long and exhausting battle but it ended when the RJ had reeled the fish in close enough to fling it out of the water and onto the land. He yanked back with all his remaining strength and saw a 13 inch trout emerge…then fly past over his head, coming off the hook in the process, and land somewhere in the thicket of trees behind him.

**RJ:** "Whoa…I guess I don't know my own strength. Heh-heh."

He put his fishing pole in his bag and went to find his fish, which he did…in a female badger's mouth.

**RJ:** "Hey! That's my fish!"

**Badger:** "I don't see your name on it ya 'lil squirt."

**RJ:** "Neither is yours, you thief!"

**Badger:** "Finders keepers' kid. Now get outta here! This is my territory."

**RJ** (imitating the voice tone of the badger when she had said it)**: **"I don't see your name on it, ya selfish pig!"

The badger glared at RJ as she walked toward him.

**RJ:** "I waited a long time for something to bite my fishing line, and worked really hard to reel that thing in. I'd say that makes it mine."

The badger nods her head, giving a "Hm" in realization. Then chews and swallows the fish, leaving RJ gaping.

**Badger:** "Still want it now? Too late. All gone. Loser." She belched in RJ's face before causally and conceitedly turning to walk away.

When her back was facing him, RJ pulled out a golf ball and threw it as hard as he could at the badger. The ball hit her, causing her to turn back toward RJ with an angry look on her face.

**Badger** (in a dark tone)**:** "Do that again and see what happens! That may have been your fish, but this is MY turf, ya hear me! You should run home to your mommy and daddy before I send you to them crying like a 3 year old!"

RJ had already been mad about the badger stealing his fish…but those words made him irate because it reminded him of everything that had happened to him and along with it, the hatred he felt toward his parents.

**RJ **(angry)**:** "I don't have any parents or a home you big, fat, mooching, dodo!"

When RJ spat in the badger's face, she had had enough.

**Badger:** "Ok. Since your parents aren't here, I guess I'M GONNA HAVE TO PUNISH YA INSTEAD!"

Before RJ could react the badger punched him to the ground with one paw, wiped the spit off her face, and pinned him with the other. When he tried to struggle free, the badger used her other paw to stop him.

**Badger:** "Time to teach ya some manners kid! One: If something of yours land in MY TERRITORY, it belongs to ME whether you worked for it or not!"

The badger claws RJ in the shoulder and continues talking.

**Badger:** "Two: Never talk back to a lady or any creature that's higher on the food chain!"

The badger throws RJ hard against a nearby tree, making it too weak and painful for him to try to escape.

**Badger** (while walking toward RJ)**:** "Three: Never insult, throw stuff, or hit a lady when her back is turned!"

The badger turns RJ on his stomach and slashes his back.

**Badger:** "Four: Don't spit in a lady's face!"

The badger, confident that her beating will keep the raccoon from trying to escape, causally turns to walk in the opposite direction to gain some ground so as to charge at RJ.

**Badger **(while still walking)**: **"And last but not least, Five: whatever you do, know when something or someone is too outta your league to handle so you can escape and avoid similar confrontations in the future...should you live past today. And by the way, if you're a loser and crybaby over something that the laws of nature have dictated, learn to deal with it!" (While turning around) "Now, let me go ahead and—"

The words freeze in her throat when she discovers that the raccoon has vanished! She looks for him by turning her body in a complete circle, waiting to see the slightest indication that shows her where he went and listening for the smallest sound.

When nothing happens, the badger grins and heads back to her dwelling.

**Badger:** "Glad to see you're a quick learner, kid. But if I catch you around here again, I'll kill ya. UNDERSTAND?"

Unbeknown to her, RJ was up in a tree that he'd gotten in when he launched his fishing line into a branch and reeled himself up. The badger never noticed the sound because she was talking too loud and conceitedly.

XXXXXXX

Back in the present, RJ's ears perk up to the sound of footsteps approaching the back door of the house whose garbage can he's eating in. He quickly jumps out and heads for the woods 20 feet away. He makes it just in time to see a woman put something in the garbage can and go back inside without even noticing the can's lid on the ground and not on top of the garbage can.

After some quick thinking, RJ takes out the fishing pole that saved his life 3 years prior, casts the line, and reels in a half-eaten donut.

**RJ:** "Sheesh…Talk about wasteful. But hey, the more wasteful humans are the more easy-food I get!"

RJ takes some more time to reminisce on his encounter with the badger. Despite being almost killed, he learned a lot from her…...in fact compared to his so-called "mother," that badger was the closest thing to a parent he ever had because she had given him discipline along with some lessons. The life lessons she taught him that day, as painful as they were, helped RJ be more cautious whenever the scent of another animal was in the area he was walking through. He made sure to keep his distance and use the items in his bag to his advantage whenever food that he wanted was near, but wasn't willing to risk a serious mauling to obtain it—Just like what he did with the donut he was currently eating.

After finishing the donut, RJ turns to leave, but catches a glimpse of something in the corner of his eye. Some type of light was coming from inside the house. Wait. Not just light, but sound too.

RJ makes sure his bag strap is nice and tight before heading over to a window sill. He climbs up the brick wall and sees two humans—a dad and 7 year old son—inside sitting on…something RJ couldn't identify…and watching a box with moving pictures and sounds.

**Dad:** "You've done all your homework, Sam?"

**Sam:** "Of course dad, I had to so we could all watch the TV."

**RJ thinking:** "_So that's what that device is._"

**Mom** (walking in with a phone in her hand)**: **"Hey Norman."

**Norman:** "Yeah, Sally?"

**Sally:** "What 'cha want on the pizza?"

**Norman:** "Pepperoni and mushrooms."

**Sam:** "Don't forget the cheese!"

**Norman **(chuckles and tickles his son)**: **"Cheese always comes with it ya silly goose!"

**Sam:** "Ah-ha ha hah haa! S-Stop daddy!"

**Norman** (keeps tickling Sam)**:** "I'm sorry but I didn't hear you clear enough!"

By this time, Sally has hung up the phone and sneaks up behind Norman with a big smile on her face.

**Sally** (whispering)**:** "You ARE aware where he gets his ticklish genes from, aren't ya Norm?"

With that, Sally begins tickling her husband who begins cackling like a madman.

RJ starts off watching the whole ordeal with humor…but quickly focuses on what he's really looking at. The thing he hated more than his parents: a family.

**RJ** (seething)**:** "For the love of hash browns, even humans have what I don't! Grrrah!"

RJ jumps down from the window sill, finds a stick at his feet, picks it up, and begins breaking it as many times as he can. He half-mumbles and half-groans nothing but babble with no coherent meaning or indication of what words he was trying to say. He takes the many pieces of wood and hurls hand fulls at a time into the woods.

**RJ:** "Animals have a family! Humans have a family! _Everything_ has a family…But no, not me because my parents deserted me!"

By now he's thrown all the pieces of wood and decides to go into the woods and find a place to vent out his feelings. When he locates a spot falls to the ground, beats his fist on it and does his weekly "yell in hate, wail in sorrow" rant asking why his parents deserted him over and over again. He blames them for not being there for him when he needed them the most and for leaving him to a life of misery and loneliness whereas everything else had a life filled with love, affection, and good-night stories and kisses.

When he's finished he takes some deep breaths and wipes his eyes dry. He enjoys the silence around him…until it's interrupted by the voice of a frog from somewhere not within sight.

**Frog:** "Ah, shut up! Me and my mate and 52 tadpoles are trying to sleep!"

Rather than retort back, RJ simply does what the frog said. He would like to slap it upside the head for being so insensitive, but decided it wasn't worth the effort.

Besides, he was just wasting his time whenever he let his bottled up emotions out. Despite all his wailing, he knew his parents would never come back to find him. In fact, with the way he's been feeling ever since they left him, it'd be better for their own safety to never come near RJ.

**RJ** (frustrated)**:** "Cuz I'd…I'd!...(calm and emotionless) Hurt them…..._Badly_."

_Ding-dong!_

RJ jumps at the sound he hears in the direction toward the human's house. He picks up his bag and runs back. He also picked up some phrases along the way.

"Here's your pizza."

"Thank you. 20 bucks is it?"

"Yes sir."

A pause.

"Thank you, have a great evening!"

"You too!"

RJ arrives as soon as the pizza delivery car leaves the family's drive way and heads down the road. RJ climbs up to the window sill again and does his best to keep focus on the TV and not on the three humans. But after an hour of watching the TV the family turns it off and pulls out a small and thin box, catching RJ's full attention.

**Sally:** "Time to play Monopoly!"

**Sam:** "I call dibs on the car!"

**Norman:** "I get the battleship."

**Sally:** "And I get the hat."

RJ is already in the process of beginning to climb down and leave—not wanting to see the family have god time playing the game—when he looks up and notices the window is unlocked.

Suddenly, a lightning bug flashes its light above RJ's head then flies away. RJ has a big smirk on his face. He climbs down and plays the waiting game.

XXXXXXX

After 2 hours the family has gone to bed, and RJ climbs back up and opens the window. He tosses his bag in the house first and jumps onto the hardwood floor. When he tries to walk he nearly loses his balance. After that, he tries again and falls this time. When he gets back to his feet he realizes what he has to do.

**RJ:** "Less claw, more pad."

Walking inside the house was easy after that. He then proceeds to his favorite activity: shopping…four finger discount!

**Note: RJ has 4 fingers on his paw.**

He approaches the Monopoly board game, opens the box, and puts all the contents in the bag.

**RJ:** "Since that family has each other, I don't see why they need this to be any happier than they already are."

RJ then heads into a bathroom that had the door slightly ajar and finds another cool item to put in his bag: a plunger. He climbs up the counter and opens a drawer to see something he knows will be incredibly important: a first-aid kit.

Although he picks them more out of curiosity than actual interest (or perhaps just because he was a raccoon and could therefore never have enough), RJ also nabs some lipstick and an electric toothbrush.

Satisfied with what he has, RJ makes his way back into the den where he had entered, but before he can leave, something irresistible catches his eyes: an open pantry.

RJ wastes no time heading over there to start climbing the shelves and putting as much food in his bag as he can.

**RJ:** "Gosh, humans are SO ignorant! It's laughable enough to be put on a TV show that features homemade videos of humans doing careless things!"

When he gets what he needs, he finds a lightweight chair and pushes it to a spot that'll help him reach the window sill in one quick jump.

While he clears the gap, the chair falls over and hits a nearby piece of furniture. The lamp that was sitting on top falls over and hits a broom lying against the wall. The broom falls and RJ realizes the broom was being used to keep an overloaded closest closed. When it opens, boxes and random items come pouring out like a waterfall. One box carried various sized bouncy balls that begin wreaking havoc on other furniture in the living room in a bouncing fury.

**RJ** (so shocked that he speaks in a monotone voice)**:** "…...Whoops…..."

He then hears Sally scream from upstairs. "Hey, what's that noise!"

**Norman:** "It could be a burglar! Get me Sam's baseball bat!"

**Sally:** "I got a better idea, get your duck hunting gun-er-majig!"

**Norman** (pestered): "Um, it's called a 'shotgun'."

**Sally:** "Shotgun, shmotgun; JUST GET IT AND STOP WHOEVER'S TRYING TO STEAL FROM US!"

Not wanting to stick around, RJ closes the window, jumps on the ground, and walks away quickly while whistling a tune like he's on a leisure stroll.

Despite the chaos he unintentionally created, he couldn't deny that it was kinda fun being mischievous.

**RJ:** "Maybe I should try it more often…?"

As he made a mental note to remember that, RJ focused on the road and did what he did best: go wherever it took him. The life of a drifter wasn't good, but it's all he had because he was a family of one.

XXXXXXX

Looks like I was able to update a little sooner than usual! But I still haven't started my new job yet and have 1 more exam to complete (which will be easy). So the rate at which I'll be able to update my stories is still unclear.

I hope some of you caught the reference to _America's Funniest Home Videos_ and that you enjoyed the humor near the end. I guess I'll make this story have a cycle of depressing and funny moments.

I also plan to finish this story before continuing with OTH Soul Mates Part 3…but agendas can change so you'll find out which story I'll work on some time in the future.

See ya later!


	14. Two's Company

**Chapter 14: Two's Company**

It's been another year and RJ is still in Iowa going wherever he wants and "obtaining" whatever items from humans he comes across.

He just nabbed some fresh food from a human garbage can somewhere out in the deep forest—the humans obviously use the house as a summer home or base camp for hunting trips—but was running from the pet pit bull dog guarding the yard. To make matters worse, the dog was very fast and persistent.

RJ stops to catch his breath when he hears a "Psst! Up here!" from above in a tree. Not even thinking, RJ climbs up just in time to avoid the dog.

**Pit bull:** "Yeah that's right, climb up in a tree like a coward, ring-tailed charlatan! But if you come by the house again I'll really mess you up!"

By now RJ has reached a branch and looks up to see an extended paw. He grabs it and sees a female raccoon with light-brown fur on her body except for the white fur on her ventral side, ocean-green eyes, and a red bow in her head. She also seems to be the same age as he is.

**RJ:** "Thanks. I would've been a doggie treat if you hadn't let me come up here. What's your name?"

**Female raccoon:** "Luby. What about yours?"

**RJ:** "RJ."

**Luby:** "What's that stand for?"

**RJ:** "I…I don't know…"

**Luby** (confused)**:** "You don't know what your own name is?"

**RJ **(with an attitude)**:** "No I don't! Y'know why? Because my good-for-nothing parents abandoned me at the age of 2!"

**Luby** (sympathetically)**:** "Oh my gosh…That's terrible. How could they do such a thing?"

**RJ** (normal tone)**:** "Beats me…And why do you care? You don't know what it's like living as a drifter."

**Luby** (puts her paws on her hips)**:** "Actually, I do."

**RJ:** "Y-You're living as a drifter as well…?"

**Luby:** "Yeah. Except my parents didn't abandon me, I abandoned them."

**RJ:** "Why would ya do that?"

**Luby **(sighs)**:** "I wanted to be free. I didn't want them to tell me how to live my life, them and their so-called 'conformity' really made me steamed. See this purse?" (Points to a purple purse she has handing on her left shoulder) "I nabbed it from a human and have been collecting some cool items that have helped me live a life alone. And my guess is that your golf bag serves the same purpose right?"

**RJ** (amazed at what he's been hearing)**:** "That's…absolutely correct." Thinking: _I don't believe it…I've met someone who's just like me._

**Luby:** "Is this the first time you've been around another raccoon? You shouldn't be so surprised, we're all pretty clever."

**RJ:** "What kinda stuff do you have in there?"

**Luby** (grinning)**:** "I thought you'd never ask. But let's get somewhere with a little more space. Follow me."

The two teenage raccoons climb down the tree and RJ can't help but feel a little attracted with Luby as he observes her graceful movements and swiftness, not to mention her appearance and voice sound very attractive too.

**RJ thinking:** "_Whoa now RJ, don't even think about falling for her. Remember your motto: family of one._

"_But does that mean I can't have a friend?"_

RJ snaps out of his musing when he reaches the ground. Luby beckons him over to into a gully where she's using a hunting tent for a dwelling. For a human, it's just a tight space to wait for deer in, but for raccoons, it was pretty much a house, causing RJ to whistle in intrigue.

**Luby **(smiles)**:** "I take it ya like my place?"

**RJ** (nods)**:** "Yeah, it's like so…rad. Do humans ever come by here?"

**Luby:** "Nope, it's been abandoned ever since I came here 5 years ago. So lemme show ya what's in my purse."

After unzipping the main pouch she dumps the contents on the floor. She picks up a hand mirror and a brush.

**Luby:** "This mirror lets me see my pretty self whenever I look into it, and this brush makes grooming easier."

**RJ** (not impressed)**:** "Mmm yeah, so what?"

**Luby:** "Oh, so YOU have something that allows you to do the same thing better?"

**RJ:** "I just don't worry about my appearance as much as a girl does. Do you have anything _interesting_ is what I wanted to know? For example… (puts his bag down and pulls out his lighter, fishing pole, and Swiss-army knife) "Take these items: (picks up the lighter) perfect for starting a fire, (picks up the knife) perfect for defending yourself, opening canned foods, and whittling, (pick up fishing pole) and great for getting fish as well as functioning as a grappling cable."

**Luby:** "Hah! That's nothing, check this out." (picks up some firecrackers and smoke balls): When lit, these things pop so loud and quick that it will even scare a wolf away and these little smoke balls will cover you in smoke that can be perfect for escaping tough situations."

Now RJ and Luby were desperate to have an "item war," to see whose things were better.

**RJ:** "Oh yeah? Well since you're the type of raccoon interested in style, how about this…"

RJ pulls out his cat-eye sunglasses and puts them on, causing Luby to laugh.

**RJ:** "What?"

**Luby:** "Those are like, women's sunglasses!"

RJ felt so embarrassed and at the same time admired how Luby knew about and had some things he had and didn't have himself.

Luby turns around, grabs something, puts it on, then turns back to face RJ. She has heat-shaped sunglasses on along with a green banker visor.

**Luby** (slyly)**:** "Dare to compare?"

**RJ** (sighs)**:** "You win this round Luby. But how about items for personal entertainment?" (rummages through his bag and pulls out a ball and paddle) "This has kept me busy whenever I chill out. It never gets old cuz I'm always trying to beat my previous records."

**Luby:** "Hmm. But do you have anything more…challenging like these?"

Luby picks up a deck of cards in their small box.

**RJ:** "Wow, you actually have one of those. I've seen humans play with them a lot, but never had a chance to grab a deck of them. What games do your know how to play…? I bet 'cha I could beat you!"

**Luby **(smiling)**:** "We'll see RJ… I know slap jack, black jack, poker, and solitaire."

**RJ:** "What about go fish, presidents, or…"

RJ pauses and remembers how fun it was to be mischievous…then grins.

**Luby:** "Or…?"

**RJ:** "Cowboys and Indians?"

**Luby:** "How do you play that?"

**RJ:** "Lemme have the deck and I'll show you."

Luby hands RJ the deck and he takes the cards out and starts shuffling them for a few seconds. When he's done, RJ asks "Who do wanna be: cowboys or Indians?"

Luby thinks for a while and makes her choice. "I'll be cowboys, no wait. I'd be cow_girls_."

**RJ:** Okay, you ready to know how to play?"

**Luby** (eager)**:** "Yes!"

**RJ:** "It's really simple. All you have to do is…"

Immediately RJ throws the deck and the cards scatter everywhere.

**RJ **(while laughing)**:** "Round 'em up cowgirl! Hah-hah haaa!"

Luby was as shocked as she was irritated.

**RJ** (in between laughs)**:** "I'm sorry! I just couldn't resist! You should have chosen Indians."

Luby couldn't help but laugh along while she picked up the cards.

**Luby:** "I gotta admit, you really got me! Heh-heh heh."

When she was done putting the deck back together she handed them back to RJ and said, "Now let me be Indians this time."

**RJ thinking:** "_Oh…No way!_" (out loud): "Alright. Since the cards are already mixed up we won't have to worry about shuffling them. As I said, being Indians is much better because you don't have to round 'em up. Instead, you just have to…"

In the next instant RJ scatters the card deck again.

**RJ:** "Track 'em down Indian!"

This time Luby is only irritated, not humored, whereas RJ is laughing so hard he gets on his back and holds his stomach while kicking his legs in the air.

**RJ:** "I can't believe y-you fell for it TWICE!"

Luby playfully slaps his chest and says "Jerk!"

RJ calms down and helps Luby pick up the cards. When they're done, RJ decides to stay with Luby for a few days before moving on.

XXXXXXXX

At night RJ pulls out his Monopoly board game and explains to Luby how to play. When that's done, it was time to decide what piece to use.

RJ goes ahead and reaches for the piece he always likes to be, but is interrupted when he hears a "Ahem!"

He looks up and sees Luby looking at him funny with her arms crossed.

**Luby:** "Ladies first."

**RJ:** "Oh, ok."

Luby reaches for the car piece.

**RJ:** "Whoa! Hold up!"

**Luby:** "What?"

**RJ:** "I'm always the car."

**Luby:** "It's just a piece of metal. You can be the battleship or the iron, or—"

**RJ:** "I'm sorry, but it's MY board game so even with the rule of 'ladies first' I'm the car; I'm always the car."

**Luby thinking** (sighs while rolling her eyes)**:** "_Boys…_" (out loud): "Alright. I'll be the thimble."

XXXXXXXX

As the two play the game RJ really likes how he actually has someone else to play with for a change...Not only that, but some company. Luby also enjoys both the game and the company that she has been missing for so long ever since she ran away.

At one point, RJ tosses the dice too hard and the pieces go across the tent. They search for them and found themselves touching each other's' paw while reaching for the same die, making them feel very awkward.

**RJ:** "Oops, um sorry."

**Luby:** "No it was just an accident."

But in that instant, Luby felt as if there was something between her and RJ…something more than just strangers who found each other a little while ago. She saw him as a friend…or perhaps more than that when time progressed.

However, RJ didn't share the feeling. He just saw Luby as a person to hang out with for a while; nothing else.

Such views were to have certain consequences in the future.

XXXXXXXXX

I have great news for those of you who like reading my fics: I have an easy job that leaves a lot of free time on my hands, meaning I'll update whenever I'm in the mood! That doesn't mean that I'll update frequently, but it won't take as long as it would if I was in college.

And as you might have guessed, "Cowboys and Indians" is a trick card game for 52 card pick up, and ever since one of my friends used it on me during my middle school years, I've had a blast pulling the same trick on my friends and younger relatives (LOL)

See ya next time!


End file.
